Hell Hath No Fury
by MaryJade
Summary: Rosette may be a Saint, but when Joshua dies in Aion's clutches, the righteousness that gave her justice waivers. Vengence lies in wait only for the opportunity. When an opportunity presents itself, Chrono must act quickly, or lose her forever. *HIATUS*
1. Prologue

_**Hey y'all! First shot at a Chrono Crusade fanfic. Reviews brighten my day. :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Crusade, nor do I own any of it's characters. If I did, I would give SOMEONE the rights to an apparel line. Anybody, for cryin' out loud.**_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I watch him, sometimes. Right after missions, right before dinners, I watch him. Perched up on top of the Order's walls, he had never known another soul set eyes on him. He had done this for years. Every few days, every few weeks. Sometimes it just depended on the weather. But on the clear days, he was up there. High above the ground. I wonder, now and then, just how he manages to climb it.

I wish that I would've gotten the opportunity to see his face, just once, while he was up there. All I ever saw was his purple hair whipping in the breeze, one knee drawn up under his chin. I wish I could've heard his thoughts. I suppose I wish a lot of things.

It isn't that I don't understand. After fifty years with little but a corpse and heart full of guilty memories, one gets used to a little alone time. And it makes sense, of course, that in a place such as this, the best place to be alone was outside the buildings, away from the chapel, atop the walls. Far above the reaching hands of both overzealous friends, and painful memories. I wonder at times what kind of hands he sees mine as.

But then, I wonder a lot about him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I glanced at the sky that was slowly changing colors. Time always seemed to manage to remind me of its passing. With a sigh and a heave, I was up. Up off my well worn perch. Watching Chrono muse was one thing, but having him catch me musing over his musings... It would just have been too complicated, too awkward, too something. Far up in the dormitory I was safe. It was doubtful he could see me from that far away, even were he looking.

It was always right around this time, somewhere around when I had to twist my eyes from fanciful dreaming and focus them again on the world at hand, that I wished for something else. Times like those it was hardest not to just collapse on my bed, fall asleep, and never wake up. The many mantras I had preached to others sounded so hollow even in my own head. For those few seconds, resolve was no friend of mine.

_Heh. I'm too young to think like this. _I rubbed by hands over my eyes, as the urge to lock myself away in oblivion passed slowly and heavily. How old was I really, anyway? Seventeen? Eighteen? I couldn't really even remember anymore. I suppose it didn't really matter. I didn't feel any age. And keeping count of one's life only matters when there will be a substantial enough amount of it to count.

The only numbers that mattered now were the ones that counted how long I had left, and if even God himself knew that answer, he kept the secret locked away. I had to improvise.

"Years," I whispered gently to myself as I glance in the mirror and straightened my habit. "I spent four years searching for you, dearest. I have little left to give." I left the room and walked down the stairs, the bounce in my step growing with each tiny fall.

It had been a year since Joshua died. How, we never truly found out. Perhaps it was his fits, or a jealous demon. Perhaps a perverted sense of justice, acted upon him from any imaginable source. Heaven, hell, all were suspect. I suppose distance makes an event less cataclysmic. Perhaps death of the heart is the only answer to death of a love, but either way, I remember the day only vaguely. The day my hopes died. The day I screamed and cried and wailed to any voice that would hear me, divine or otherwise. I had stopped crying long ago. No one had answered.

One thing from that day I will never forget was Chrono's face. It mirrored mine in every detail, save for the hysteria I endured. He always knew how to stay calm. A few days later he came to my room to see me. I refused to leave it. He had come to apologize. He had picked up the golden pocket watch from my table and twisted it around in his fingers. Dazed, he had simply stared at it. His stupor was the only way to cope the hot fury that lay inside him, simply waiting to be released.

But that had been the one thing I had never regretted after I found out about Joshua. That contract. In vain we may have tried, but we tried. With our blood and our sweat and our tears we tried. Joshua was now forever beyond our reach, but I refused to accept Chrono's apology for "wasting my life." Had I the chance to do it over again, I would have changed nothing. I was certainly not aimless. No, I still had a mission. The only true difference worth noting was that my mission had changed from one of rescue to one of revenge. Revenge on Aion, to be sure. Oh, what that bastard has coming to him...But even on so many others. All those who hindered us along the way. Any evil, anywhere, that could in any way be construed...

I suppose that made me a mercenary for God, supplying death and destruction for a small bit of sanity. I killed to have a purpose. And that's all my purpose was.

_Take what I have, but I just pray that it's worth it to you in the end. _I thought to whatever divine voice was listening.

By the time my boots hit the hard floor, a slight smile found its way to my face. Depressing thoughts came and went. Especially now. The time, and the denial, seemed to pad my heart from the arrows hurled at it from daily life. It always seemed harder after thinking too long, or too hard, when I had been chipping away at the numbness, to make sure there was still feeling there. Just one of those things I had to do. Wrap my heart up and continue with life. Happiness isn't free, but it is so much easier to pretend you have than to actually strive for it. Smiles I could wear, I could find the strength to laugh. I had the gall to lie if anyone asked if I was alright. Happy or not, it made little difference. May as well maintain the happiness of others. And it wasn't as if there was no bright spot in my ever darkening night.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halfway across the lawn I stopped. No reason to get too close to him, to the wall. A man alone with his thoughts could be a dangerous thing. I decided to give Chrono and his space the same discretion.

"Hey! Chrono!" I smiled and waved at him. He jumped slightly at his name, but turned, smiled, and waved over the comfortable distance. "Dinner!"

He flung his boyish body off the high wall and landed lightly on the grass. Little boy my ass. He stood up straight and jogged merrily over to me after a drop that would have crippled most. He looked so small, so fragile, so... innocent. With his hands in his pockets and his hair bouncing along beside me, all I could see were the hair braidings and the punchings, the scoldings from sister Kate, beating up Elder, frolicking, playing, picnics, fishing, stories... I slowed a bit to let him pass me, taking him in. Chrono, the Sinner. The Betrayer. Broken Horn. Playmate and partner. Mother, father, brother, my portable family. For years he had been my world, my strength, my rock, both to cling to for dear life, and to stomp all over. Wise and kind and constant. Chrono, Slayer of Thousands, turned his innocent child's eyes on me.

"Rosette? You coming?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**_Next chapter up as soon as I can find the time! And by all means, please tell me what I'm doing wrong lol._**


	2. Chpt 1: Descent

_**Alright, this next chapter is actually chapter 1. The previous section was a prologue. I apologize for any confusion about the points of view, but all parts of the story that aren't actually chapters are first person perspective interludes, and there will be a few of them throughout the story.**_

_** I apologize that these first few sections have been so short, but I promise, longer entries are coming when the action picks up a little bit. Don't wanna throw too much at y'all in one sitting lol.**_

_**Disclaimer: Chrno Crusade is not my property. **_

_**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **_

Chrono sat across from Rosette in the cafeteria. He couldn't quite remember when he had given up sitting by her side, he just remembered why. It was very hard to watch someone you were sitting next to. Not so very long ago he would've never thought of the move. Rosette always went nuts over the tiniest things. He smiled sadly to himself, _Used to take a pin drop to set her off_. Back then if he had wanted to look at her without risking a beating, he had to steal glances furtively while she was otherwise occupied. Occupied with making sure that spoon, bowl, and possibly bits of table didn't make it down her throat like her food did.

Chrono chuckled softly at that memory, breaking the uneasy silence that seemed always between them now. He looked up, worried. It wasn't a sound he had intended to make. Rosette didn't even notice. It wasn't because she was busy with dinner, or worrying about foreign objects making it into her meal. In fact, she was just sitting there, staring downward at her reflection in the bowl of soup. At least, Chrono hoped that was what she was doing. Better for her to be gazing at her own reflection than looking back through the past, harboring pains, regrets, and unchangeable guilts.

He sighed. No furtive glances were necessary now. The world could stop turning. The sky could start raining fire. Elder could be asking her to model a one of a kind lingerie line designed by him especially for her. She wouldn't have noticed. He could stare unabashedly and she would never know. He wasn't sure how much he liked that.

Rosette jumped a foot when she felt his hand touch her shoulder.

"Rosette? Hey, Rosette?"

"Chrono! God, don't DO that!" she yelled, hand on her chest and breathing heavily. "I was **thinking** for crying out loud."

A tiny smirk found its way onto the devil's face as he found himself saying a phrase he never thought he would ever utter to her. "Maybe you should think less, and eat more." A glower was the only response he got.

"I was only half kidding, Rosette," he said as he shifted his weight in the chair, "You really should finish up soon. We have a mission to finish tonight."

"Hmm? A what?" she asked him with a confused look. "But we just finished today's."

"Sister Kate gave this one to us days ago, remember? Said it was no rush. So little rush in fact that she didn't even call us into her office for a debriefing. Just passed us on the lawn with a quick "by the way." Do you not remember this? Rosette?" Chrono looked at her more closely. She was looking at him, but he was staring to lose her attention. Again.

"I must not have been paying attention," she recovered quickly. "So absent minded you know." Rosette threw out a wink and a grin. Chrono had been getting suspicious enough for her liking. She didn't like anyone prying too close. She could save the sulking for later.

"Remind me, would you?" She took a few spoonfuls of her previously untouched soup and stood, sliding her chair out from under her.

A few moments later they were in the car, driving calmly to the mission site. Chrono offering another, obviously needed, briefing.

"It's nothing really serious. Actually, I'm surprised we're even on this case at all. I have a sneaking suspicion this has everything to do with the fact that we were the first people Sister Kate ran into. Anyway, it's just a poltergeist, residing in an abandoned building in a fairly populated area. So far as we can tell, it hasn't done anything but make a little noise and scare the neighborhood children. However, since we** are** the exorcists, the authorities decided to have us take care of it. It honestly probably wasn't even worth bringing your gun. We probably could have come armed with a bucked of holy water and a crucifix or two and been more than set." He flipped lazily through the pages of the map and pointed Rosette down the right side street.

When they arrived, a few people were wandering around the streets, speaking to the lone policeman that had been given the unfortunate duty of staying at the scene until the exorcists arrived. Children were looking furtively up at the dark windows of the long-empty house. Pointing, giggling, and every now and then one of the girls would shriek when someone scared her from behind. More giggling ensued.

"I'll wait in the car for this one, then?" Chrono asked her. There was really absolutely no need for anyone other than Rosette to take care of this problem. Actually, Rosette was so overqualified it was ridiculous. This thing would be more docile than the training simulations used for beginning Sisters back at the order.

Rosette smirked and joked about his laziness, reaching down and making sure her gun was still in its holster.

"Do you really need that?" Chrono asked, eying the weapon critically. "Overkill, don't you think?"

Rosette threw a wink at him and patted her little metal friend. "Never leave home without it."

Chrono shook his head and relaxed back in the car, watching Rosette approach the policeman. It was almost amusing. The poor man was afraid of her. Apparently no one informed him that it was required for Sisters to present documentation to any present authorities before completing a requested mission. This was almost insulting.

Chrono saw Rosette throw the thumbs up to the bewildered policeman and approach the house. Chrono amused himself by watching the children. He loved watching them play. He always had. How carefree they looked, how unconcerned. As cliché as it sounded, they really were the reason organizations like The Order existed. They witnessed death and horror and destruction on a regular basis so that these didn't have to. The children and their parents, gathered loosely around doors and yards. Making this cleanup job a neighborhood event.

Chrono had seen the loss of so much innocence. His own, ironically, cherubic eyes had witnessed destruction, death, heartache. More caused by his own hands than he could think about anymore. Of all the many things Rosette had given him, perhaps the most important was the beginning of his path of atonement. There was much to regret. But regret is useless if it does not spur you on. So here he was, Kinslayer, atoning for his wrongs.

Chrono's musings were cut short by the noise coming from the abandoned house. The harsh clap of gunshots echoed through the quiet neighborhood. Something was wrong. There was no way Rosette needed bullets for this.

Chrono jumped out of the car and looked again at the once dark windows. Flares and flashes cracked with every recurring shot. Dusty glass shattered, wood splintered, causing the mothers to seize their children and rush them quickly inside. Chrono started towards the door. Something was wrong.

He had no sooner set foot on the street than the shots stopped, the flashes ceased. That silence should have been the final word, and Rosette should be walking out that door right... about...

Nothing.

Chrono ran.

Up the steps, into the house, climbing the stairs as fast as his small legs could carry him. When he reached the second floor, he didn't have to look far for Rosette. The door to the room she was in had been blown to pieces. Dust still floated in the air, in violent swirls that could find no place to settle.

One final gunshot exploded. Chrono was shaken from his trance by a swirling vortex that he knew was indicative of only one kind of bullet.

_Oh God_, he froze and stared at the windstorm. Just a poltergeist? A poltergeist would **never** warrant the use of Gospel...

"Rosette!" He rushed in, coughing through the years of previously undisturbed filth. Through the shadows falling in the light of the night's young moon, Chrono could see her. She was stock still, facing downward, her gun hovering still, over a body.

"Rosette, what happened? Are you--"

"Fine, Chrono!" She whirled around with a grin. "Just a little extermination. Nothing at all to be worried about. I'm just fine!"

Chrono surveyed the damage around her. There was nothing but destruction. Rosette was a reckless person, that's just the way that she functioned. But this... this was something altogether different. In a house where no one had lived, where nothing save the spiritual had been, holes had been blown all through the walls, out the windows, out the front of the house.

Chrono remembered the small mass of people that had been accumulated on lawns and porches just moments ago.

_God, it's a wonder she didn't kill someone. But didn't she?_

Chrono looked down at the figure on the floor. He had not expected to see anything. Rarely were poltergeists ever corporeal. Though to be fair, whatever it was that was sprawled on the ground didn't exactly look corporeal either. It was there, but it wasn't. Transparent but real. Chrono couldn't really tell... It appeared to have blood. Or appeared to have lost it, and liberally. Dark spots appeared the boots, the pants, the jacket... why did he look like a man?

Chrono's eyes were drawn to the thing's face, where moments ago Rosette's weapon had been held, and steady. So familiar, even through a gaping hole she had blown through his head. Chrono crouched over the body. He knew that face, knew that style, knew those glasses that were shattered into a thousand pieces, strewn across the floor.

_No..._ Chrono choked _it couldn't be... not here, not like this, not now..._

"It isn't him." Rosette's voice broke his rising panic. He turned to look at her. She was occupying herself by nonchalantly wiping down her beloved weapon before returning it, dustless and dirtless, back in its holster.

Her explanation made sense. And was the easiest to believe. The idea that Aion would have his headquarters in the middle of a populated innocent neighborhood was just his style. However, to have it in a dump like this, hiding away, reduced to scaring little children by thumping on the walls at night, certainly was not. Not to mention he was hardly the type of man who would tolerate living in any kind of squalor. And yet...

"Shape shifter." She said, breaking the silence again. Chrono stood slowly and looked at her. She was brushing bits of dust and splinters off her shoulders and dress. "He didn't look like that when I walked in here."

"What did he look like?" Chrono eyed her suspiciously. With an Aion replica at his feet, he could hardly believe Rosette was just patting down her dress.

"Translucent. Shifty. Ghostly. The usual." Speaking of being shifty...

Chrono turned again and narrowed his eyes at the shredded walls. "It took this many Sacreds for a shape shifter?"

"I missed a few times."

Rosette didn't miss. Not like that. And a quick survey of the shape shifters form proved him correct. He was riddled with ash, scorch marks, and holes. From the looks of it, every bullet that had left Rosette's gun found its mark.

Chrono dropped his eyes again to the riddled body at his feet. In the center of its torso was a huge, gaping wound. He could see straight through it, to the floor, and through the hole in it.

"Did it really warrant this? Did you really need Gospel?"

Rosette had already turned and was walking out the door. As Chrono watched her habit flap around the corner her voice floated back to him.

"I just wanted to make sure he was dead."

Chrono followed her out slowly. Something was amiss. Something was wrong. Before she had fired Gospel, there had been only silence, only nothingness where her mantra would've been prayed.

There would be no rest for the fangs of the wolf tonight.

_**Again, my apologies for the shortness, but longer chapters are on the horizon!**_

_** And if the changing of person throws anyone off, it's because I absolutely adore writing in first person, but with a story as long and detailed as I'm hoping to make this one, it would've severely limited the possibilities I had with it. So my coveted first person bits will be sprinkled in as important flavoring particles. **_

_** Thanks for reading, and again, reviews make the world spin round.  
**_


	3. Chpt 2: Mind Games

**_Hey guys! Wanted to say thanks for the reviews I've gotten so far. You guys are great. _**

**_This chapter is about the same length (maybe a bit shorter) than the others. This was not my original intent, but I've gotten a little busier lately. So I've opted to update with what I have and then bring the rest of it once I get it written out. I'm going to try to keep the updates at least semi-regular, even if they are shorter. This will at least (hopefully) end up in chapters being posted more frequently._**

**_Pretty sure I've forgotten to put this in here before, but Rosette is probably going to get what most would consider slightly OOC. This is basically just me writing what I think she would be like if Joshua HAD died. If it gets to be a little too far off the mark, lemme know and I'll take a closer look. I'll do my best to keep that under control. _**

**_Disclaimer: Merari is the only character in this of my own creation so far. All the others unfortunately don't belong to me._**

**_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _**

Rosette Christopher pulled the car up and parked it at The Order. _Lights off, parking break on, door locked._ She ticked the list off in her head. She could hardly remember the last time she had wrecked a car. While never one to waste any time, she had stopped hurrying quite like she used to. Needless to say, Sister Kate was hardly upset at strain this took off The Order's finances.

As she and Chrono walked back, she ignored the many worried looks her partner was throwing her way. No, she was not quite as oblivious as Chrono thought she was. It wasn't that she didn't see the looks he gave her. She just chose to let him think she didn't. If he knew that she knew about them, the only practical options would be a beating, or a long in depth conversation.

At that very moment, Rosette Christopher didn't like either of those options. So she walked, and she kept her silence. When passing Elder's hut, Chrono veered off and began to head towards the door. After a few steps he turned on his heel.

"Hey-" he began, but Rosette was already gone, striding quickly across the grass. He had just wanted to wish her a goodnight, sweet dreams, too look into her eyes and reassure himself that things were alright. But she wasn't going to give him that. And she wasn't going to let him take it.

Rosette closed her eyes, feet pounding the grass, rushing quickly away from Chrono. She knew he would want to wish her a good night. He always did. But she couldn't take the look she knew she would get from him. She could hear it in the questions she asked him when he found her gruesome handiwork, she could hear it in the strained silence that remained unbroken throughout the drive home.

She had had enough for one evening.

The assignment had been ordinary. So ordinary as to be beyond ordinary. She had gone into the house chuckling. It was cliché and perfect. Through the unhinged doorway, up the creaky stairs. Dodge a few roaches, duck a few spider webs. She even saw the room she knew the spirit to be in. A smirk on her face, she approached the door and reached for a crucifix. Time to get this over with, go home, and sleep.

Stepping through the threshold she had seen her target. Shiny, ghostly, the size of your average human male, it shimmered slightly at her disturbance. But other than floating towards the middle of the room, there was no sign of aggression whatsoever. And even the exorcist, who had spent countless hours destroying the spiritual, paused.

Her job was to destroy evil, in the name of God. But just because there was a ghost doesn't mean it was malicious. Poltergeists were exercised because they tended to be public nuisances, but to exercise a calm, peaceful spirit...

Rosette didn't like killing things that didn't put up a fight.

_'Rosette...'_

The word had intruded on her musings. It was calling to her. She tucked her crucifix away and narrowed her eyes.

_'Rosette, I'm so pleased that you're here... I've missed you...'_

Rosette looked at where the spirits face would be, and began to see it take shape, take form. Morphing slowly, shifting, swirling. Eyes, nose, lips, ears came into focus just long enough to be seen and shifted again, growing taller and shorter in alternating waves. With newly formed legs, the spirit walked towards her.

_'I was beginning to think you would never come see me.'_

"I have," she began. She wanted answers and she knew she wasn't going to get them standing there, threateningly grasping her gun. She didn't want to kill him yet. She had to know first. "Now who I am talking to."

The spirit stopped. In this proximity, Rosette could see it was smaller than she was. The soft astral glow falling as bangs across its face.

It had a face now. A solid one that didn't morph or change. Those sweet innocent eyes, that happy smile, that face belonged to...

"JOSHUA!"

The spirit smiled warmly as Rosette took a step towards it, her mind racing with questions.

_Joshua? Here? Like this? But why is he still here? How could God let this happen? Death was his release, right? Why wasn't he free?_

"Joshua... what...how..."

But as the unanswered questions flitted through her mind, the spirit in front of her smiled again, a different smile. Cold, calculating, ruthless, it wasn't Joshua's smile. It was no longer Joshua. As if swept up by a wind, the energy of the spirit swirled and grew, until that hateful face was staring down at her. She could hear it laughing at her softly, chuckling.

Rosette began shaking, her hand clenching ever more tightly around her firearm.

_'And here I thought you would be pleased to see your brother again. Really you should thank me. His actual body doesn't quite look so well now, I'm afraid. The dead rarely keep very well these days...'_

_**Bam**_

The smoke was still pouring from Rosette's gun as she fired again, three times, four times.

The spirit staggered and fell backwards into the flying debris, the avatar grinning even as holy bullets five six and seven blew him apart. Wordlessly, he still laughed.

_'Your anger, child. It's delicious.'_

In one quick move, Rosette loaded Gospel. Stepping up to the fallen spirit, she looked down, surveying this... mask. Destroying his avatar would not even set Aion back in whatever plans he was still trying to set into motion. She should save the fire power. The spiritual energy that had just been speaking to her was so close to obliterated. She should save the ammunition. She should get Chrono and have him survey the situation. She should tell Sister Kate and Father Remington.

With a soft click of the handgun's hammer, Rosette realized she should do a lot of things.

* * *

The car carrying the exorcists had just rounded the corner, it's lights fading slowly into the deepening night. Perched nonchalantly on a roof of a neighborhood house, a shadowy figure smiled and replayed the encounter again in his mind. 

"Delicious indeed."

She was everything that he had hoped for. Even Merari, elusive demon that he was, would be willing to put himself on the line for her.

Master of manipulating avatars, it was rare that anyone ever saw him face to face, or in fact even knew what he looked like. A new face, a new puppet of his own creation was at his disposal at whatever time he could desire. It was a talent that also proved very valuable when you needed someone to see only what you wanted them to.

His test had been flawless. He wanted to see just how much hate, how much anger could be contained in God's chosen. Rosette rose to his challenge without a hitch. She needed no coaxing. Merari chuckled to himself as he remembered how quickly she blasted the life out of his wispy puppet. No wonder Aion needed her. No wonder Aion desired her. And despite her ferocious hate of him, Aion, silver tongued devil that he was, would use that, twist it. Her emotions would get taken advantage of and the most blasphemous of sinners would have her for his use.

"Ah but she has so much more potential," Merari mused out loud. He didn't quite have Aion's way with words, but the point Merari would argue to her would be much easier to convince her of. The irony of the situation was delicious. Merari would destroy Aion with the very thing he desired above all.

Rosette Christopher would make a fine weapon.

* * *

_**Next chapter coming just as soon as it's written. Reviews are wonderful. Lemme know how to make it better:)**_  



	4. Chpt 3: Afternoon Picnic

Sunlight poured through the window of the car to splash on Chrono's lap. It was a beautiful cloudless day, and he could feel the warmth even from inside the car. Chrono had loved the sunlight ever since two pairs of young hands had led him out of the darkness and back into it. To him, it was his new beginning, his new chance. Chrono stole a sidelong glance at Rosette, who was driving them down a long, scenic stretch of road. He hoped that there would be a new beginning for Rosette, too.

This was the same road that had traveled down with Azmaria. When the two of them had decided to show her about being in touch with her feelings, and herself. Chrono hoped that he would be able to remind Rosette of her own lesson. It would've been much easier to remind her if Azmaria were still here. Rosette looked upon the girl as would any guardian or loving parent. If Azmaria were still around, Chrono very much doubted that Rosette would still be so downtrodden.

Joshua's death had changed her, and there would never be any taking that back, but he left a void of what she felt was responsibility. If Chrono could have just persuaded Sister Kate and Remington to let Azmaria stay, Rosette would have had a new responsibility to focus on. Not that she would replace Joshua. No one would ever replace the beloved brother, but Rosette loved Azmaria too. Chrono knew that would have helped her heal.

But that had not been the case, and no matter how many times Chrono pleaded, he could not convince them to let the child stay. The most plausible theory they had to work with was that Aion had not planned on losing Joshua. Up until that point, all of Aion's plans had remained hidden from them. The very fact that they knew about Joshua (though credited to highly competent reconnaissance) made them doubt that Aion had prepared for this.

Always one to play games on the safe side of the tracks, Sister Kate had relocated Azmaria. With the death of what was presumably a needed factor, The Order feared that Aion would redouble his efforts to capture Azmaria as a replacement. So they had moved the apostle child, and only Kate and Remington knew exactly where. The reasoning had been sound, Chrono could not deny. Just doing their jobs showed the exorcist pair to demons on a daily basis. Had Azmaria stayed, she would constantly have been around danger. The fewer beings that saw her, the better. The better for Azmaria at least.

But they hadn't seen their angelic friend for many months now, and looking again at Rosette, Chrono thought with a sad heart, _It_ c_ertainly wasn't better for everyone._

Rosette wasn't alone by any means. Chrono was still by her side, and would always be there. But it wasn't the same. This was a grief that divided them. Driving her slowly back into herself, into a place Chrono didn't dare try and retrieve her. At least he hadn't dared in the past. The events of the night before had brought more sharply to his attention that it was time he do something. It had been long enough.

Chrono remembered the destruction that they had had to explain to the policeman after they exited the house. The poor, terrified man had been huddled behind his police car, gun drawn and pointed at the front door. Rosette had simply told him that the spirit was particularly violent, that she was sorry about the mess, and to call the Order if there were any further complications. The man had stood up and nodded, relieved, at her. He had been expecting any number of horrible things to fly out and eat him, so when he realized that it ended up with only a hole-filled abandoned house, rather than simply a dingy, dirty, abandoned one, it was quite a relief.

Rosette's calm had startled and worried Chrono. After the wordless drive home that night, in the dingy confines of Elder's hut, he decided that he had waited long enough. He had kept his distance for a long time. He had given her as much time as he could to grieve. And remembering the scattered bullet holes that riddled a house in a populated neighborhood, Chrono had reached the decision that she had taken it too far. She was endangering too many other people, including herself.

It was time to remind her who she was.

The car stopped, and spread out before the two of them was the lake, glittering blue in the day's full sunlight. Chrono grabbed the picnic basket that he had prepared himself and climbed out. He could not ask for better weather, or a place that brought back better memories for what he needed them for. Soon the pair were seated, lakeside under the shade of a friendly tree.

"You've gotten better, Chrono." Rosette said, the first to speak. Chrono looked up at her, happily surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"I remember when you couldn't find two pieces of matching bread for a sandwich." She laughed softly to herself. "Your picnic making skills are much improved."

Chrono laid back on the blanket, his hands tucked behind his head. "I owe it all to being named king of all things hearth and home-y."

Rosette chuckled and gave him a sly look. "My highest compliments to Your Majesty."

Chrono closed his eyes and nodded solemnly at Rosette. "Your allegiance will be counted when choosing who will be privy to the best washing soap."

Rosette coughed and choked on the bit of sandwich she was still eating. Smiling, she replied "Your Highness is too kind."

Chrono looked up at her and stared. It was a real smile. Small, albeit, and a little sad, but it was there, and it wasn't forced or strained. He hadn't seen a smile on her like that in what felt like ages, and his heart gave a painful lurch when she met his eyes.

Rosette moved the picnic basket off the blanket and laid down next to Chrono. "Thank you for the picnic. It's nice to finally spend a little time outside."

"It's nice to finally get to spend a little time with you." Chrono said softly, looking up into the blue.

"Hmm?" Rosette turned her head and looked at him quizzically. "We've been together almost every day for months."

Chrono let out a small sigh. "We've been **together**, but we haven't spent any real time with each other. You've hardly spent time with anyone, Rosette. You're always so distant. Today is the first time I've heard you laugh in God knows how long."

Rosette rolled her eyes back up to the sky. "I just don't feel like laughing much anymore."

"I know Rosette, I know. But don't you think it's been long enough? How long would Joshua really want you to hurt for him?"

Rosette said nothing, a single tear sliding down her face.

Chrono didn't miss it, and turned his face to look at her. "He would never want to know that his sister hurt like this."

Rosette didn't move, save for her chest that rose and fell in deep ragged breaths. Her jaw was clenched shut and her eyes locked above her.

A memory floated through Chrono's mind of another time they had been here. All of them. When Rosette was determined, strong, happy. He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow, looking at her, smiling gently as he tried to remind her too.

"Smile when you're having fun. Get angry when you're angry. And cry as much as you want to, when you want to."

Rosette closed her eyes and sat up, staring out over the lake. Chrono joined her, and put his arm around her shoulders. "You feel so refreshed after crying, you know?"

The dam that had been building up inside Rosette Christopher over the past year had broken. Flinging her arms around Chrono, she cried. Chrono simply held on to the poor girl's body as it was racked with sobs. And if she hadn't been so overtaken by her own grief, she would have seen that not all of the tears that were shed belonged to her.

Seconds, minutes, all ticked by, until neither one of the two really knew how long they had been there. It didn't matter. This was why they had come. As her crying began to subside, Chrono released his firm hold around her shoulders, and brought one hand up to pet her. Soon, she was quiet as Chrono's fingers continued to slip and wind their way through her hair. He stopped just long enough to tilt her face up towards his, and he silently pulled the strands away from her tear stained face.

Rosette could do nothing but look at that face as he smiled softly at her. Those deep eyes pleading with her to be happy again. She couldn't remember the last time she felt something so perfect as his fingers in her hair. They seemed to be asking her to relax, be calm, sleep. Every time he touched her skin, her face, the burden that had locked itself so tightly over her heart relinquished, ever so slightly, its iron grip.

With a heavy sigh, she slumped against his chest, her head on his shoulder. The devil's tiny human form didn't even slouch under the weight of her. This made Rosette smile. How easy it was to forget that this ageless boy beside her was so terrifyingly strong. But, she reminded herself as he continued to pet her, so unbelievably gentle. Who ever would have guessed she would have felt so at home in such a small pair of arms.

"I'm sorry, Chrono," she whispered.

Chrono smiled, "Eh, don't worry about the shirt. I still have to do your laundry anyway."

"About last night."

Chrono kept his silence. This was her story to tell. And not one that he had been expecting her to relate at all. If she wanted to tell him she would take her own time to do so.

"I hardly remember what happened. First it was only the spirit, and then Joshua, and Aion... I didn't think. I just... fired." She sighed again and remained quiet.

Chrono had known of shape-shifters taking the forms of those that a person felt very strongly about. If someone hated or loved a particular individual strongly enough, the shifter could read that, and use it to their advantage. Chrono had never heard of one taking on two separate and opposing forms, but most people were not Rosette Christopher. If the shifter had used Aion's guise to try and frighten her away, it had certainly gotten more than it bargained for.

The only fact about the day that still gnawed on Chrono's mind was that even after the shifter was defeated, it still retained Aion's shape. Shape-shifters, as far as Chrono could remember, supposedly changed back into their amorphous state upon death.

No matter at least. It was dead. There was no mistaking that fact.

"You know, you're right Chrono." Rosette interrupted his thoughts again. Far from being put out, Chrono had never been so happy to hear her voice.

"About what?"

"I do still have things to take care of. Things to do. We still have a job. Aion's still out there, and he still wants Azmaria. As long as he's alive, no matter where she is, she isn't safe. Joshua may be gone but this isn't over. No... Aion has destroyed too many people's lives, including my own, to be left alone." The fist that clutched Chrono's jacket tensed and then relaxed. "I suppose I'm not much good in a fight like this," Rosette sighed sadly.

"I don't know about that," Chrono smiled at her. "I think that the shape-shifter who is laying in pieces all over the room of an abandoned house would have something to say to the contrary."

She heard his laugh start before it ever came out of his mouth, deep down in his chest, before it burst out his lips. Rosette began to laugh too. A good laugh. A real laugh. She coughed and sniffed and laughed, then wrapped Chrono in a hug so tightly that the gold pocket watch dug uncomfortably into them both. "Thanks, Chrono." She pulled back and looked him square in the eyes, smiling again. It was something he had wished for for so long, that Chrono could have himself cried at the sight. Smiling, he wrapped her in a hug of his own, ignoring the pain of the watch.

A few hours later, the two of them were walking back to where Rosette had parked the car. Both were soaked from head to toe, and laughing. Perhaps their decision to take an impromptu swim in the lake fully clothed had been a bad idea, but no matter. Rosette hadn't damaged a car in so long that Sister Kate would hardly begrudge her a little water damage. Giggling and sloshing their way up the hill, Rosette searched her waterlogged pockets for the keys. But after she found them, their familiar jingle was joined by a less familiar noise.

"Rosette Christopher, I presume?"

The pair looked up to find a man leaning against their car, foot propped up on the tire. Tall, slender, and dashing, there was a mischievous glint in his eyes of a kind that made Rosette nervous. It only made Chrono suspicious. Something here was not right. The stranger, taking his left hand out of his pocket, and pulling the cigarette from his mouth with his right, took a step forward to stand in front of them.

"A pleasure to finally meet you."


	5. Chpt 4: The Bargain

_**Phew. Wanted to let y'all know I'm bout to be a little busier, hence the updates so close together. Hopefully it won't be more than a few days before the next chapter's up, but I'll just have to see. I'll get it to you guys as soon as I can.**_

_**And I just wanted to say thanks again to my reviewers. Can't tell y'all how much I appreciate the kind words and input.**_

_**Discliamer: Very few of the characters in this story are actually mine. All the cool ones belong to someone else **_

_**

* * *

**_  
"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Rosette asked the stranger. The question had more of the weight of a command than a request.

"I would prefer we talk somewhere more private, if you don't mind. The information I have for you is somewhat... sensitive." The handsome stranger took a drag off his cigarette.

"That completely depends on what we're talking about." Chrono took a small, quick step forward. Rosette wasn't going anywhere with this man by herself.

The man laughed and flicked the ash off his cigarette into the grass below. "Ah Chrono, you've changed a bit since I last saw you."

Chrono's eyes widened slightly. A demon then. "Can't say I recognize you at all." Chrono had a brilliant memory when it came to recalling people who knew him. And with the way this man addressed him, chances are the two of them had met, personally, rather than just through reputation.

A sly grin spread on the charming face. "No one ever does. But all that will be told to you in good time. I have some things to discuss–"

"Rosette isn't going anywhere just because you asked her to." Chrono was surprised that Rosette let him speak for her for so long. Normally by now she would have hit him, called him a pig, or done something equally as unpleasant. However, fortunately for Chrono, Rosette seemed to have picked up on the fact that this wasn't an every day stranger.

"Chrono, Chrono, your temper. Remember where you are, please, and your manners. If you would have let me finish my sentence you would have discovered that while my business mainly deals with Rosette, I have a few items to discuss with you as well." He flicked his cigarette but into the dirt and slipped his hands back in his pockets. "Shall we get going, then?"

"Where?" Rosette asked. Chrono looked up at her, startled. This was a bit reckless. Who knew what this man really was. But Chrono had to admit, he was curious as well, and the fire in her eyes warmed his heart. Rosette really was coming back to herself. She was determined again. He decided not to question her.

The Stranger grinned and slipped her a crumpled peace of paper. "There. As soon as you can make it."

Chrono and Rosette looked at the piece of paper. It was an address. The street name was familiar and Rosette was fairly certain she could find it. "Alright." She said, "But will you at least do us the courtesy of telling us your –" Rosette looked up and the stranger was gone.

"Chrono...?" she asked, hoping he would have some clue. But he was too busy staring at the cigarette butt, still smoldering in its own ashes.

A few moments later, their car was rumbling down a road not far from the lake. Outside the city, but not too remote, they found themselves staring up at a large warehouse that matched the address given to them earlier.

"Why is it they always have to choose warehouses?" Rosette asked as she stared at the door. "Once, just once, could interesting strangers not want to meet somewhere clean?" She sighed and pushed out of the car. Checking her ammunition supply, she straightened her damn skirt. Chrono reached into the backseat and brought out the pack with the rest of the firearms in it. He had no idea what was going to be in that warehouse, but he wanted to be as prepared for it as he could.

They walked up to the warehouse door, and Rosette asked Chrono, "Do we knock?"

"If this is who I think it is, it won't be necessary."

Even as the words left his mouth, the door they were standing in front of opened slowly, and out of the darkness came a small, sweet voice.

"Please come in."

The two stepped inside, as the door was shut behind them by a small, beautiful young girl. Six or seven years old, at the most, she was dressed lavishly and was delicately featured. The room was lit by sunlight that streamed in through dusty windows, high above their heads.

"Follow me." The little girl turned and began walking towards one of the more dingy corners of the warehouse. As they rounded a particularly tall stack of boxes, the child disappeared. Chrono didn't seem to be startled by this. They saw that a small table and round of chairs had been set up. Sitting in one of these chairs, feet propped on the table, with his hat pulled low over his eyes sat –

"Merari." Chrono stared at the demon. There was nothing in his face to tell Rosette whether he approved or disapproved of him.

"Chrono, old friend. I'm so touched you haven't forgotten. It's been a long time since you've seen me. I was worried that your astral-depleted state would leave you delusional as well. I'm glad to see I'm mistaken." He chuckled to himself. And gestured to the chairs around him.

"We didn't come here to be teased, Merari. What's this about?" Chrono stood stock still.

"Manners, dear boy, and I'll tell you. But first, my business with Rosette. I hate the way a meeting feels rushed when you stand. If you would please sit down..." he motioned again towards the chairs. Rosette took a few steps forward and seated herself. If there had been a danger, she would've known it, and felt it, both from Merari himself and from Chrono. But as it was, Chrono just seemed surprised and curious, and perhaps to a substantial degree protective. But as it was, she was not afraid.

"What do you want with me?" Rosette asked Merari in an even, level tone.

"Want with you, child? What a harsh phrase. No, more that I'm here to ask something of you. But I'll get to that. First, I give you information free of obligation."

"He wants something, Rosette. Nothing is ever free with these people." Chrono said to her, never taking his eyes off Merari.

"Chrono, I'm hurt. Do you not remember the days we were once friends?" Merari took his feet off the table as Chrono sat down. "I always had the highest respect for you."

"I have a history of making poor choices in friends, Merari."

The man laughed and looked at Rosette. "On the contrary, little friend, I'd say your choice of companion is superb." His eyes lingered over the pocket watch dangling from Rosette's neck. "And it is to your charming friend that I wish to speak. Child, I knew your brother."

Rosette gasped and Chrono cut in "You bastard! You weren't... how could you! Even after –"

Merari held up his hand "Calm down Chrono, and let me speak. Yes, I was doing work for Aion. My particular... 'talents' made me very useful. Aion rewards people well, as I'm sure you remember. And breaking rules has always been a habit of mine." Merari looked over at Chrono, who was seething in his chair, half expecting Aion to break up the meeting at any time. "I left him a year ago, Chrono. Be at your ease. He does not know where I am, and I'm sure does not care to try and find me. It was because of your brother, Miss, that I left. It wasn't difficult as I was never truly a part of his grand cause. And when I left, I had plans to take your brother with me.

"Your brother did not belong with Aion. He was only being used, and I saw his condition deteriorate day after day. I could not leave him there like that. Aion struggled to ease his pain, but the only remedy that would be had was you, and you were nowhere to be found." Rosette turned her head away and clenched her jaw. "I decided I would take him away, and bring him to you, if you could not be brought to him. I harbored no love for Aion, or his grand, corrupt, and farcical dream. And the corruption he was subjecting your brother to was against the very nature of how we two kinds are created."

"If he was alive when you took him, then what happened?" Rosette asked softly, but calmly. There were no tears in her eyes, and none were threatening to spill.

"I had to take him while he was unconscious after another one of his devastating fits. The devotion Aion had inspired in him was so strong that had he realized what it was I was doing, he would have tried to stop me, kill me, warn Aion, any of the above."

Merari paused long enough to light another cigarette, and mention offhandedly how much he enjoyed that particular brand. He began again.

"It was obviously not long before Aion realized what had happened, and tried to reclaim Joshua. In the battle that ensued, Joshua awoke. Confused, and angry, he didn't know what was going on. Caught in the crossfire, neither Aion or I could save him."

"Why tell me this?" Rosette, glass-eyed and stone faced, asked him.

"Because I need you. I know where Aion is. Aion was set back in his loss of Joshua, but he's not stopping. Honestly, I don't know what he can do now that Joshua is gone, but he's got something in mind, and I don't want to see it."

"The Order wouldn't like us joining forces with a Devil. Odd enough as it is for me to say that," Chrono interjected. "The most we could offer is the promise that we would discuss it with them."

"I'm not asking the order. I'm asking Rosette." Merari never took his eyes off her. "The Order has fine intentions, I'm sure. But they are useless against Aion. They do not know what they are dealing with. They can't afford, nor do they want to sacrifice their numbers. And their very size would be a hindrance. Aion expects them. We need to deal him something he won't expect."

"What's in this for you, Merari? If I know you at all, even your 'kind hearted benevolence' has its limits." Chrono was wary about his motives. He noticed that the demon hadn't really explained that part in his well delivered speech.

Merari threw Chrono a pointed look, "Because he took something from me."

"Someone you loved." Rosette stated. It wasn't a question. "I can tell by your eyes."

Merari snubbed his cigarette with his own fingers, skin healing over using astral power from his hidden horns. And looked down at the table. "She's perceptive. No wonder you like her, Chrono."

"Then Trista..." Chrono began, haltingly.

"She's gone."

Chrono closed his eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry." Trista had been Merari's partner, back when Chrono knew them all those years ago. The two of them had each other, and Chrono supposed that was the reason that they had gotten the reputation of being some of the most lax demons living. Merari could always be a little bit tough to take, but Trista was one of the first people Chrono could remember being able to relate the word "kind" with. He really was sorry.

Merari leaned forward on the table. "You and me both, friend. But grief only gets you so far. It is time to take action on Aion, now. And I need your help."

"You have it." Rosette stood to shake Merari's hand.

Chrono looked flabbergasted, "Rosette, you can't give word for The Order like that. Without even speaking to Sister Kate? What are you – "

"I'm giving him my help. Not the Order's. They have helped me as much as they will be able to, and it's time to move on."

"Rosette, please don't let hearing about Joshua do this to –"

"I'm going Chrono." She interrupted him gently. "This is my chance and I'm taking it. For Joshua's sake," she turned a pair of resolute eyes on him, "I have to."

"Then you know I have to as well, don't you." Chrono said, eyes steady on hers. If she was going to do this, he would be right there with her every step of the way. But he wanted to make sure that she knew just what she was getting into.

"Don't look so torn, Chrono. I haven't yet discussed the business I have with you." Merari broke into their tense moment. "When Aion killed Joshua," Rosette flinched, "the boy left something fairly important behind. I figured it was only right to return them to you."

Merari reached into his coat pocket and, with a clatter, threw down in front of Chrono the very things that had incited the madness so long ago.

His horns.

* * *

_**I know it's getting a little bit complicated, but just gimmie a holler if something's unclear and I'll see what I can do.**_

_**Reviews are the butter on my popcorn. Yo. **_


	6. Interlude 1: Decision

_**Disc: Chrno Crusade characters aren't mine.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Oh God.

I knew this day would come, someday. I had hoped against hope that I would never be faced with it, but I always knew. I could feel Rosette's eyes on me as I gazed at the accursed things. No... more like was transfixed by them.

They looked so dead, and dull, and lifeless, sitting on the dingy table. While not attached to someone, they were practically useless. At the moment, their influence alone is what made them worth anything. And that alone was enough to terrify me.

I could remember vividly the days not so far gone where I would've cried with joy at a moment like this. No one ever had to remind me of the first time I felt my astral energy begin to drain, or of when I discovered how weak this form was. From being powerless, to just not being able to see over things, I remember hating this form.

But that was a long time ago. I had long since made peace with myself on that point. And even if I could never make peace with what was still keeping me alive, Rosette had. Wasn't that enough?

I remember boldly telling Aion to keep my horns. I knew that if I had taken them back from him, there would have been a price tag. He returned my horns, and I returned to the fold. It was a ridiculous proposition that I had no problem rejecting, even though my lack of horns left me weak and vulnerable. Had I known then the horror they would cause upon my refusal... It never did any good to think on the past that way. What's done was done, right?

So why, then, did I feel terror squeeze my heart, tighter with each beat, every passing second that I looked at them?

I tore my eyes away to look at Merari. His face was dispassionate, calm. He had no stake in my horns whatsoever. Unlike Aion, he had no unholy ambitions. That was not the way Merari was. Even his involvement with Aion now was due only to the retribution he felt the demon was owed, and perhaps through some loyalty. Merari seemed to feel a connection with Joshua, and even more so with Rosette. What his relationship with Joshua was I didn't know. I don't think even he really knew. But with Rosette it was a common goal. Not only did whatever sentiments he had towards Joshua endear Rosette to him, but vengeance is easily rallied around. No wonder he came to Rosette.

The longer I stood there, the more the practicality of what he had showed itself to me. He could not trust the horns in Aion's grasp. He had no need for them himself. We had, indeed, long ago, been friends. But how could he know there was so much more at stake than a friendly gesture?

I could hear them, the voices. The voices of the fallen, the dead, those whose lives had merged with the river of Astral energy. With those horns I had been, truly, Chrono the Sinner, Kinslayer. I sent more souls to meet their destiny with the Astral Line than I cared to think about. And it was that same energy that flowed through the solid organs. Having my horns broken off was a penance for me. To me, it was symbolic. I was not to draw power from that which I (in my opinion) had tainted.

But what now? Had I done my penance? And more importantly, if I took them, what would await me? I remember vividly that feeling of power. It had made me arrogant, as it had made us all arrogant. Even Merari and Trista, in all their unusual kindness, had their arrogance. It was impossible to possess so great a boon and not. Would that demon that I was, slayer of so many, rear again its ugly head when I again had power, when my abilities did not demand a cost far greater than their own worth? With my demonic arrogance gone, I treasured things. Little things, simple things, finite things. I had learned the value of a single life.

I looked up at Rosette. A single human life had been the only thing in the world that had mattered to me for four years. When I didn't require it for sustenance anymore, what would happen? I still needed her.

There. There it was. There was my real fear. Things, these horns, energy... those I could control. But there was one thing I could not. I did need her. Horn-less, I could let myself believe it was because she had given herself to me in contract. But the truth was, I did need her soul, her fire, her spirit, and not for the Astral energy. The truth was the idea of losing her terrified me. But with my horns back... everything would change.

She accepted me for who I was. But what would happen when I ceased to be the boy to her? When faced with a demon, fully and completely, how would she see me? Rosette was never a superficial person. I didn't expect her to take one look at my horns and judge me forever. Of course not. But as time passed, then what? This threw into sharp perspective a choice that I honestly had not planned on living long enough to face.

Her choice.

A choice that, apparently, Rosette had not needed to agonize over, as she put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Take the horns, Chrono."

* * *

_**First interlude. Not really to advance the story as for character development, which is why I didn't call it a chapter lol. Story line will progress with the following chapter. Feedback on these would be great. Tell me how you guys like the swtiched viewpoints. If it goes over well, I'm planning on using a few more later on. **_

_**Thanks:) **_**_  
_**


	7. Chpt 5: Contracted

_**Hey y'all! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but my schedule has been all kinds of crazy. I'm just glad I finally found the time to get this short update out to you. Hopefully the next one will be following it in a few days. And if for some reason I can't manage to hammer out a few more in the coming week, there should be updates on weekends at the very least. If you don't get them on the weekends, beat me, or something lol.**_

_** Anyway, just thought I'd let you guys know that since this is an M rated fanfic, it's probably gonna get a little more... well... M rated, from here on out. Possible lemon in future chapters. Dunno yet. Considering it. But just wanted to give y'all a head's up on that. **_

_**Anywho! Hell hath no Fury continues...**_

_** Disc: Chrono isn't mine. Dammit.**_

_**

* * *

**_  
"Go on," Rosette prompted Chrono slightly with a nod of her head. "They're yours. Take them."

"Rosette have you really actually thought about what all this entails? Things aren't going to be the same, everything will change, can you honestly -" Chrono began, his words picking up speed as he spoke.

"Chrono." Rosette interrupted him. Her face was calm. Dispassionate. Resolute. This was just another step to her. If her mind mirrored at all the turmoil taking place in Chrono's heart, it did not show. Though her look softened slightly as she said, "I know things will change. But it's time for things to change. Once upon a time I needed to give you my life so that you could help me find Joshua. Now I need for you to take yours back, because our plans have changed."

Under that logic, Chrono had no defense. He could argue the morality, or the rightness of it, all day long. But he had no rebuttal for her argument. Their mission wasn't over, and it was undeniable that Chrono would be much more help with full demon powers, rather than a child running around, refusing to let Rosette release him. It may throw his conscience into chaos, but this really was the best choice.

Decision made, Chrono turned slowly towards the table where his astral organs lay lifeless and dull. As he reached out to take them up, Merari said nothing. He watched the display through hooded eyes, maintaining the delicate balance between the private moment taking place in front of him, and staying involved in the deal he was orchestrating. He sat silent, the only movement being his constant cigarette smoking.

Eyes down, Chrono squared his shoulders and faced the table. "Release the seal."

Rosette pulled the seal open and after the swirl of the clock's hands, a dark, tall, and devastatingly handsome demon stood before them. It had been ages since Rosette had needed to break the seal. She had missed this view. She could remember from time to time that Chrono's child form hid a demon, but she had forgotten just how **beautiful **he was. He just felt so much more real in this form. She couldn't help but stare.

Chrono stretched his wings out behind him, reminding Rosette a bit of a cat the first time it moves after a long nap, and cracked his neck a time or two before laying he hands on either side of his head. Grasping the circular covers near his temples, Chrono braced himself. He needed to remove these covers before the horns could be reattached. Grunting, Chrono pulled, and the covers broke off. Rosette saw the rough, broken stubs that had once been his horns. She could easily see why he covered them. But she refused to look away. This was her request, she would see it happen.

Chrono took only a moment to take a breath, and grab his horns. Creasing his brow, and with one final grunt to silence the caution in his brain, he slammed his horns against the stumps in his temples. Even just removing the covers had been painful, but as the pieces made contact, there was a flash of blinding pain, accompanied by an equally powerful blast of light.

Merari, ever cautious, had turned his face away at the last moment, but Rosette, determined to witness the whole process, yelled in pain and fell to the floor. As the light faded and her sight returned, Rosette looked down at her pocket watch. The hands, which she had expected to stop, were instead flying. Convinced her assaulted eyes, and the recently accompanying headache, were distracting her from the truth, she looked again. The hands were indeed moving, but the strangeness was that they were moving forward, at such a speed that her eyes hurt to follow it. She felt lightheaded, and her headache became unbearable, and her eyes closed, welcoming oblivion.

Rosette awoke some time later. However long it had been, she didn't really know. She woke slowly, little by little. And when she opened her eyes to see the person who had been calling her name, the person who was kneeling on the floor, cradling her, her stomach did a somersault.

"Chrono..." she whispered softly as she looked up at him. She was familiar with unsealed Chrono, but only in full battle regalia. The man over her now showed no trace of horns, wings, or anything else that would mark him as a demon. It was as if the devil she knew had become human. Only... only a grown human rather than a twelve year old. Secretly all those years, Rosette had been glad Chrono's sealed form was that of a boy. It made her job, and her life, a little bit easier. She forced herself to think of him that way. Whenever other thoughts came to her heart she buried them as far as she could. Sister of the Magdalen Order, she should never even consider it. Tasked as she was, and with such limited time, she didn't have the opportunity for it. When Chrono was sealed, so were the thoughts that really made her a woman.

But he wasn't sealed anymore. And his inconspicuous form was no longer quite as resistible. Child Chrono was perhaps gone forever, leaving in his wake this new, unfamiliar, true Chrono.

"Rosette, thank God you're awake." Chrono's eyes bored into her, and the longer she stared at him, the longer she found she couldn't respond. But she didn't have to.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Chrono growled, looking up at Merari angrily. "What the hell happened?"

When Chrono had regained his horns and become a full demon again, he had expected the pain. What he had not expected was for Rosette become so overwhelmed and faint as she did. When she had opened her eyes, Chrono could tell that it was from more than seeing him as a demon. That was hardly enough to sway her anymore. There was something else to this that Merari hadn't told them.

Chrono looked down as he heard the pocket watch around Rosette's neck click softly. The hands, which had been flying at an incredible speed before had stopped. The glow was still radiating from it, and Rosette was still very much alive. But the watch was stopped. Chrono turned to look over his shoulder, facing Merari for answers again.

Standing up from his chair, Merari began to walk over to them. "You're still contracted, Chrono."

_'God how could I have been so stupid_' Chrono looked down again at Rosette, whose brow furrowed, trying to comprehend the explanation Merari gave.

"What does that mean?" Rosette turned her eyes away from Chrono and towards their new ally.

Merari knelt down beside them. "When you made a contract with Chrono, it was for life. Not so surprising as it's usually the contract that kills the contractor. However, you two were a special case. And now that Chrono is again fully demon, replenishing his own astral energy with his horns, he has more than he needs, and inadvertently channels it to you."

Rosette tried to raise her head, and Chrono pulled her to a sitting position. "So that means... I'm not going to die?"

Merari smiled affectionately at the question, worded as innocently as the lights shining from Rosette's eyes. "No child. Not now, and not for a very long time."

Chrono gave a small smile and looked down at her. "Not until I do."

Rosette's eyes widened sharply. "So you mean that..."

"As long as I stay alive, you stay alive. As long as I can supply astral for you, you won't die. Highly probably that your body won't progress past maturity. You won't decay. You will heal as I do." Chrono chuckled softly. It was a deep laugh that Rosette was completely unfamiliar with. And at the same time, it was the same laugh she'd heard time and time again. Her little Chrono was not little anymore. But he was still Chrono. _'And he is still mine.'_ She thought to herself, a small blush rising to her cheeks at how forcefully that unconscious thought had come to her. She could feel the beginning of an internal argument that she could not afford to have with herself right now. _'Later.' _she promised herself. '_I'll have this conversation later.'_ But all the same she couldn't manage to draw her eyes away from the smile that had spread over Chrono's face.

The smile only deepened as he said, "Looks like I'm your contractor now."

* * *

_**Thanks for reading so far, and I wanted to send a shout out of thanks to Revengematron3, raspber**_**_rysorbet, and Shizuka-naTenshi for being such dedicated reviewers. You guys make my story writing place happy lol._**

**_Holler if there was something amiss in the chapter!  
_**


	8. Chpt 6: Departure

_**Managed to hammer out another chappy! Woot. Anyway, hopefully things are gonna start picking up here soon. Exactly where I'm not sure, as I always get into it and then realize I wanna add this or that or whatever. So anyway, things are coming lol. They're just coming in their own time. I'm using this and perhaps the next few chapters to work out a few other things first.**_

_**

* * *

**_  
They had decided to wait until nightfall before going back to the Order. There were still a few things back in her room that Rosette had decided she needed. Little in the way of clothes. They would take care of her lack of "civilian" attire later. But just a few little things. Pictures mostly. A few of Joshua's old things that she lovingly packed away in the bag Merari had provided her.

He had offered to send an avatar in with her, in the form of one of her friends. But despite the suspicious (and frowned upon) act of her wandering the grounds at night alone, it could be explained away with only a small amount of difficulty. Explaining why a double of one of her friends had suddenly turned up on the grounds would be a little harder to tackle.

She picked up a few magazines of Gospel that she'd had stored in her room. Maybe it was stealing, but she was going to need them in the days ahead. Besides, it wasn't like there was a limited supply of these things. They had to give Elder something to do, right? And she had never had any qualms about stealing from him before. A small and (though she would never admit it) affectionate smile found its way onto her face. Elder she would miss. Stupid perverted old man.

She walked downstairs and found the hooks where all of the keys that belonged to the Order's cars were kept, and carefully placed the ones she had borrowed back into their place. Some things she didn't mind stealing, but a car was going a bit overboard. And, she thought, as she stepped out onto the sidewalk, it wasn't like she was going to need it.

Chrono and Merari waited for her outside the grounds. She had expected Chrono to accompany her, but when she stopped to let Merari out at the gate, Chrono had climbed out too.

"Aren't you coming?" She had asked him. He gave her a slightly wistful smile and reminded her that with his horns back he really was all demon now. The scant welcome that he had enjoyed would likely no longer be bestowed upon him. Not to mention it would raise more than one kind of alarm. Rosette had blinked a few times, staring at him. She had never considered that the ramifications that the decision she pushed him to make would affect him negatively. She stared at him a moment longer, wanting to say something, but instead just nodded, and entered the complex alone. In retrospect she was a bit grateful to have no company.

As she was she was walking out and away from the complex. The Order was behind her and, God help her, she wasn't going to look back. Having Chrono there would only have made it more agonizing. She could always feel when his eyes were on her, and she didn't think she could possibly take his worried gaze on the back of her head right now. It would make her start doubting her decision. It would make her think that she was being too rash.

_'Nothing for it now but to just go on.'_ She thought to herself._ 'You've just made the man make one of the more difficult decisions of his life. For what?' _As she walked towards the gate her heart began to beat more quickly she was leaving and diving off into the horrible, terrible unknown, to witness God only knows what. And for all she knew Merari's plan could be complete shit, if in fact the man even had one. As far as she knew anyway, the extent of the plan was to come here and clean out her room. Merari had, up til now, kept her on a fairly "need to know" basis. What came next was a mystery.

The thought hit her like a freight train as her boots made a lonely click on the pavement. _'I have no idea where I'm going. I am leaving the kindest people I have ever known, and I have no idea what's going to happen. I have no idea what will happen to me. I have no idea what will happen to Chrono. For the love of God, I don't even know where I'm staying tonight.' _

As she began to panic, she tried to think of the reason she was in this situation in the first place. This situation that she couldn't back out of now because of what she had asked Chrono to do. '_Oh God, Chrono I'm so sorry I'm involving you in this._' Though she knew very well that if she had involved herself in it, Chrono was going to be involved in it. There was no escaping that.

But as she was walking, her pace slowly picking up more speed (so that she could carry herself away from the building and her turmoil both at the same time), something in a pocket shifted. She stopped and pulled it out with her gloved hand to see what it was, and found one of Joshua's old dime novels from back in the day. It was one of the ones that always used to make him talk about adventuring, exploring. She always used to make fun of him for these. They were always giving him strange ideas. But they made him happy, and that was all she had really cared about. He would be an explorer, and that's what made his world spin round.

At least he would've been an explorer.

Rosette slipped the novel gingerly back in her pocket and resumed her walk to the gate. Her shoes no longer sounded lonely and timid, but struck the ground hard, and unyielding. What did it matter if she didn't know what tomorrow, or even tonight, would bring? At least for her it was coming. She had to make the best use of that time for those unfortunate ones who weren't so lucky.

As she climbed deftly over the locked gates (the keys had been part of the set she returned), she tossed her bag down to the waiting Chrono below. Feet hitting the ground with a gentle thud, she uttered a thank you and went to retrieve it from him. The hands that passed her the bag didn't belong to the same towering demon who had gotten out of her car, minutes before. Looking up sharply she saw Chrono smiling at her, and in full twelve year old glory. A line creased her forehead and a question was on her lips when Chrono interrupted her, laughing.

"Just because I have the astral for my larger form now doesn't mean I can't still take the smaller one, Rosette." He answered the unasked question with a grin.

"Oh. Of course. That makes... perfect sense." Rosette said with a sigh of relief. "But... why?"

Chrono had honestly not expected that question. Taken aback he answered frankly "Because this is how every one is used to seeing me. Here especially."

"Oh. Right." Rosette said, more to herself than anyone else. It wasn't that she didn't like Chrono's little form. It was adorable. But the older form was... new and charming, perhaps. She was worried that perhaps it was gone. She didn't want it to be gone.

Merari spoke up from the shadows, "I think it's time we got moving."

Little Chrono nodded and asked "Where to?"

"Follow me. You'll see," Merari answered. "You're going to have to use your wings, so you'd better get out of that ridiculous form."

Having spent so many years living as a twelve year old, Rosette had to admit, Chrono had the mannerisms down to a science. He gave Merari one of the cutest little indignant glares she had ever seen, and had she not known he was actually serious, she probably would've burst out laughing.

"Right in front of the Magdalen Order, Merari? How long did you want us to go undetected, really?" Chrono asked tersely.

Merari turned on his heel with a roll of his eyes, "Alright then, lets get far enough away until you're not _scared_ anymore, Little Chrono. And for God's sake, get out of that form. It's creeping me out."

Chrono grinned and ran up to Merari, tugging gently on his sleeve, "Does Uncle Merari have something against poor little helpless Chrono?" he asked, stirring up the most convincing and pitiful pout he could muster over an ill-concealed grin.

Merari's only answer was a swift thump to the head, leaving Chrono swearing and stomping in his wake. He had definitely spent far too much time as a twelve year old.

Rosette trailed far enough back to where she could laugh quietly undisturbed. It was so odd to see Chrono with a friend other than herself or Azmaria. Chrono at play. It was something all together different. She found that she liked it. It was a part of him that she had never been lucky enough to really experience. All she had of him was his devotion and friendship to her. And while that was one of the most important things in her life, it had been only a short part of his. He had lived for such a long time, done so many things, known so many people. It was so nice for her to be naive about it from time to time, but when it came down to it there really was just so much about him that she had never known. The thought disturbed her. She looked down to the watch hanging at her neck, faintly glowing.

_'But that isn't an issue anymore, is it?'_ She asked herself. Now the one thing she had in abundance was time. Provided of course that she and Chrono didn't die by any other means. The morbid thought almost stopped her in her tracks. But it was fortunately at that time that Chrono had decided they were at a safe enough distance from the Order to attempt their flight.

"Alright, Rosette, we're ready." Chrono turned and put out his hand to her, inviting her closer. He was no longer in his little form anymore (much to Merari's relief), and the hand that he held out to her was marked by slightly curving claws that she had only ever seen in times of nervousness, distress, and battle. It was still such a new feeling to see him this way in a state of perfect calm.

She hesitated only slightly, in her musings, and walked into his embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he turned to Merari saying "You first."

Merari took off like a rocket into the sky, astral energy flowing in his wake and lighting the ground around them. Chrono looked at the direction he was going, and snapped his wings out violently. Rosette, cradled in his arms as she was, could feel Chrono's strength, his energy, gathering up in his body. The skin he was holding her against tightened as he pulled his muscles tight. The grip he had on Rosette for a split second became absolutely crushing, just long enough for Rosette to feel it intimately as his muscles snapped and they rocketed from the surface.

In times past she was always so worried about the mission ahead that she had never stopped to notice this. She found her heart was racing at this new, before unnoticed experience. All of the sudden flying with him became a pleasure rather than a duty. Looking over his shoulder she saw his wings spread out behind him, rippling and shifting in the wind.

_God there are even muscles in THEM_, Rosette thought admiringly. She wanted to touch them, and was about to reach her hand out to do so when she remembered she was hundreds of feet in the air. Perhaps fooling around with Chrono's wings just now was not the best idea.

_Another time._ She thought, pulling her hands back to herself, shocked at her musings. She could never ask Chrono to touch his wings. That was like asking if she could touch...well any part of his body. When they touched, it was usually because she was hitting him. And she certainly wasn't going to ASK.

"Gah" Rosette shook her head slightly as she tried to rid herself of the horrifying scene that was unfolding in her mind of Chrono's reaction to a proposition like that.

"What?" Chrono asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing!" She answered quickly, looking away, cheeks reddening. '_Idiot.' _

Chrono gave a small smile and asked no further questions. He certainly wasn't going to say anything, though it was perfectly obvious what she had been doing from the minute they had taken off. All Chrono had been tasked with doing was keeping track of Merari, and that certainly didn't call for his undivided attention. It also wasn't hard to follow someone's eyes if they were only inches from your own. Especially if it had been you they were inspecting.

Chrono wasn't surprised at the change in Rosette. This would take some getting used to, of course. It was another reason he had reverted to his smaller form in front of the Order. It had been so nice at first to be tall again, to be a man again, and feel at least that he looked his maturity. But after Rosette had gone onto the grounds of the Order, it had occurred to him that she wasn't quite as used to dealing with a man. Sure, Chrono was Chrono. And while he liked to think that packaging didn't matter, he certainly didn't have the slightest idea how he would react if all the sudden Rosette turned into an eight year old and he was supposed to just deal with it.

Chrono shifted his hands slightly in the hold that they had on Rosette, reminding him sharply of the soft curves in her waist and her thighs that had not been there on their first flight together those years ago. He blushed and clutched her slightly closer to him.

Chrono was very glad that Rosette didn't have an eight year old form.

Merari had watched the two of them since he had met them. Closely. He wanted to see if there could possibly be any chance. If this were to work at all he had to have them both. If for some reason he could only get one of them, it would've been better had he not solicited them at all. Originally he had wanted to just go after Chrono, and have him convince Rosette to come. Chrono had lost a love to Aion like he had. But it was decades ago. Magdalen wasn't the reason Chrono fought, and she never was. And Merari discovered that her memory was best left in the grave. Magdalen was an inflammatory subject, but not enough for what was needed. No, in order to get Chrono to take measures like this it was going to take an object of affection that was recent and fresh.

Certainly Chrono had cared about Joshua too, just as Merari did, but fresh though he was, Joshua had, in his heart, been dead for a long time. Merari thought he could save Joshua from that. But then again Merari had thought he could save Trista too.

No, Rosette was the only thing that could sway Chrono to help. He would follow her anywhere. And Joshua was the perfect subject to convince Rosette to help him. In fact, Rosette hadn't really needed any convincing. She had herself convinced. All Merari had to do was give her an opportunity, an opening. She had jumped at the chance, not even letting Merari finish his sales pitch. Chrono followed just as he was supposed to.

In all the years that Merari had known Chrono, he had never seen him this way with anyone. He remembered him as quiet, reserved. Chrono had always been clever and bright, but this was something all together different. He had never seen the purple haired demon smile so much. In the massive archive that was his memory, there was never a time Merari could remember this amount of happiness in Chrono. Now, of all times, when one would have every reason to be worried, or at least goal oriented, Merari could hear him laughing with Rosette in the air behind him.

He was almost too happy with her. That could prove detrimental. But he would worry about that when he got there.

By the time they landed, the mirth in the air behind Merari had died down. His feet touched down on dark damp soil with nothing but a tiny, run down shack to mark the property. There was nothing around for miles, and Rosette hadn't seen any city lights for the past few minutes of their flight.

"Where exactly are we?" Rosette asked as Chrono lowered her feet to the ground, looking around at her surroundings.

"It's better if you don't know, exactly." Merari answered, walking towards the shack at a comfortable pace "We won't be here too very long anyway. Besides, it's not horribly important."

Chrono followed Merari's example, tucking wings away before making them disappear along with all his other demonic accouterments. He turned to Rosette and prompted her to follow.

"In any case we are home. For now."

* * *

_**Once again, thanks for reading -**_  



	9. Chpt 7: Home again

**_Phew managed to hammer out another chapter! I'm really sorry these have become so few and far between. I never intended for them to become once a week updates. If I can possibly keep myself un-sleepy long enough this week to be of any use, I'll try to have at least two chapters by next weekend. I'll see what I can do. _**

**_ I would like to state here, again, that this fanfiction is based entirely off the anime, because at the moment I am completely ignorant of the manga. As such, if anything in this chapter conflicts with something in the manga (as I have a sneaky suspicion it might), I don't plan on changing it. I hope it doesn't, but if it does, oh well. It was started as an anime fanfic, and that's how I wanna keep it. _**

**_ Disclaimer: Chrono and Rosette don't belong to me. I just like playing with them from time to time._**

* * *

Rosette peeked through the door of the tiny shack Merari had lead them into. It was cramped, being only one room. The sparse furnishings were caked with dust, and Rosette was thankful the lights weren't on. She had a sneaky suspicion she didn't want to know what else had made its home here. 

'_Just my luck, when traveling with men.' _She thought to herself. Though this looked like a little bit more than just loose living by an unhygienic person. It looked almost as if Merari hadn't even lived here. By the moonlight trying to shine in through the disgusting window, Rosette could see that the dust and grime was completely undisturbed. She was about to ask Merari about this when she saw him lift a tiny handle in the floor, and throw open a massive basement door.

"You didn't think I actually lived in THIS, did you?" Merari asked Rosette, an eyebrow raised at her amazed expression.

"Well, I... uhm... Where does that lead, exactly?" Rosette diverted the question.

"For our purposes? Home." Merari turned away quickly and jumped down into the black hole. A second later, a soft glow floated up from the hole, revealing everything in the room Rosette had not wanted to see. With a squeal she ran towards the door and down the narrow staircase leading under the unkempt little house.

Once at the bottom of the long staircase, Rosette gasped audibly, and Chrono smiled behind her. He remembered having been here, long ago, and as such knew what to expect. But Rosette had no idea that under the shack was where Merari and Trista had made their home.

It was a rare occasion when demons took, or made a residence. Most demons had no use for them, preferring instead to wreak havoc on the earth, wander aimlessly. Seeing as how they had no real pressing need for food or sleep, a home was a luxury that most of them disdained.

Merari and Trista had been different though. Looking around the room this was more than evident. Where most demons would not have even considered owning a house, Rosette found herself in a large, tastefully furnished residence, to which the word "home" could not have applied more. A few large, inviting, soft couches occupied what appeared to be the main sitting room. The only evidence for the extended absence of a female was the fact that the equally luxurious pillows were tossed haphazardly into the corners of the couches. Soft carpet and hardwood paneling gave the room a warm, safe feeling, and Rosette breathed a sigh of relief.

Throwing herself down unceremoniously on one of the couches, hugging one of the pillows tight to her chest, Rosette grinned and sighed again.

"You had me worried you know," she said, her voice muffled through the pillow, "that I'd have to dust before I could go to sleep, and on a floor no less. This, however, I could get used to." Rosette snuggled again into the soft fabric. The Order never had anything quite this comfortable. She was going to milk it for all it was worth, and decided to ignore it when she heard Chrono chuckle behind her. She was waiting for the quip that was sure to come. But Chrono never said anything, and as she looked up, she saw him disappear down a hallway that she hadn't noticed before.

"You're more than welcome to sleep on the couch, if you like," Merari made to follow Chrono, "but there is a room you can use down here that's more than ready."

Rosette stood and began to follow them. It hadn't occurred to her that there was anything more to the home than this one comfortable room. But then again, just seconds before she had been willing to accept that Merari had made residence in that dingy, insect-infested hut above her. She cursed herself for being so stupid. Demons like Chrono and Merari, if they decided to live anywhere, would not live in squalor. Her own naivety betrayed her more than it helped her. With another sigh (much more subdued than her previous ones), Rosette followed down the hall, hands trailing with admiration along the wood panels.

Soft lights led them down a fairly long hallway. Every so often a door would appear on the left or the right side of them. Each door was a little bit different, leading Rosette to wonder what was behind each of them. Some looked almost the same as the walls, with the same deep wood. Some were pale, with gentle scroll work on the handles. Some had hardly any distinctions to them at all. As each door passed, Rosette's curiosity grew greater, until she was about to be impertinent and just ask, but there wasn't a need.

"Ah, here it is!" Chrono said, his older eyes turned to look at them with a gleam of anticipation in them. Rosette smirked at him. He may look older, different, intimidating, but there was no denying his expressions were as innocent and as charming as she had always known them to be. "I knew you would keep it." Chrono said as he looked back to the door and tried the handle.

The door was a deep brown, and sported no fancy trappings, save for the simple, elegant silver handle. Chrono pushed open the door and stepped inside. Rosette heard him breathe deeply. Merari had propped himself up against the other side of the hallway, watching Chrono with a faint smile on his face.

Chrono leaned his head back out the door, smiling broadly. "It's just exactly as it always was. Hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here."

"Always knew you'd be back someday. I wish it were under happier circumstances, but at this point I'll take what I can get." Merari answered Chrono's smiling face with a slight shrug.

Chrono turned his face to Rosette and grinned. "It's my room. Wanna see?"

"You have a room?" Rosette asked, wide eyed as she followed him in. "You lived here?" She looked around the simple room. It was clean, and obvious that it hadn't been lived in for many years. There were only a few pieces of furniture in the room, but they were grand enough that it gave off an air of refined wealth.

There was a desk in the corner, made of the same impossibly dark wood that the door seemed to be fashioned of. It seemed to be the theme for the set in the room, matching the large, stately desk with its high-backed, cushioned chair to the enormous fourposter bed on the other side of the room. Another, nondescript door was over in the opposite corner, leaving Rosette to wonder if it led to a bathroom or a closet. The scene was almost too surprising for Rosette. Chrono was not the opulent type. But as she looked over the furniture, it made sense. The fourposter was massive, but simple, with no overt decorations on either the posts, or the horribly expensive looking, cream colored sheets. And the desk matched this idea of simple luxury.

Rosette found herself wandering slowly around the room, letting her fingers soak up the touch of absolutely everything she could find, the sheets, the wood, the feel of the light colored walls. It made her smile to think how light it was in there. Other than the deep brown of the furniture, all of the other surfaces were lighter, making the room seem brighter, happier.

"I suppose if I lived anywhere, I lived here. There were a lot of us back then." Chrono stood in the door frame, arms over his chest, head resting on the threshold as he watched her, his eyes following her every move around his room. He could count on one hand the number of people other than himself who had been in this room.

"Trista couldn't get enough of them. And Chrono was, I think, her favorite." Merari said wistfully from the hallway.

"How many of you were here?" Rosette asked as her eyes meandered towards the desk again. She wanted very badly to open up the drawers and see if even those were left spotless too...

"Oh it changed all the time. Whoever wanted to be here at the time. I was here... a lot." Chrono walked over and sat down on the edge of his bed. "Trista always used to say that demon young were young first, and demons second. She felt obligated to care for us. Give us something. Nurture us, I suppose. Most of us never knew who our mothers were. Some of us didn't even know if we had mothers or not." Chrono chuckled softly, "We called her 'Mom' anyway, just the same."

"Chrono's was made one of the permanent rooms. Trista insisted on it." Merari pushed himself off the wall and walked up to the door, but not through. "You room is right next to it, Rosette. Here."

Merari moved out of sight, and Rosette heard him fumbling through a ring of keys, and Rosette found this horribly amusing. Where they had come from, Rosette didn't know, but she certainly hadn't heard them at all, all night long. But the idea of a demon keeping around a ring of keys to doors that any one of the people who stayed there could likely have knocked down just made her smile.

She stepped out into the hall just as Merari was pushing open the next door. Peeking inside as he turned on the lights, Rosette looked into a room that was obviously designed for a young demon woman. Whereas Chrono's room had only sported a bed and a desk, her room held a third piece of furniture. A vanity stood on the far wall of the room, a towering mirror with delicate filigree framing it reflected her startled expression back at her. The serene curtains of a canopy bed draped heavy over the frame, leaving Rosette to wonder just what the bed looked like behind the solid, ivory curtains. She wished, idly, that it were possible to have a window in this room. The only thing that would have made the scene more perfect is if there had been a breeze blowing softly. A small, delicate desk and chair, and another nondescript door in the opposite corner completed the room.

"It's beautiful," she said, turning to Merari gratefully, "thank you."

He nodded his head and stepped inside, walking to the other door she had seen in the room. "I assume you'll want to shower and change. The bathroom is a short way down the hall. Chrono will show you. As for clothing, these should fit you." Opening the door, Rosette saw that it was indeed a closet, and in her case a closet that had been stacked neatly with many different dresses for her to choose from.

She smiled and offered another sincere "Thank you" to Merari before she heard Chrono snort in the next room. Merari said nothing, but his lip curled only slightly in the smallest of smiles.

"Something has GOT to be done about this, Merari." Chrono called from the other room. "This may have worked back then, but I don't think it's going to work anymore." He walked into the room, having changed into a suit that must have still been in his closet. The suit was in absolutely pristine condition, but the style was older than Rosette could really comprehend, and to her, Chrono looked ridiculous. Though she did her best to stifle her giggle, as the look on Chrono's face was at least partially serious.

"Chrono, I think you look dashing."

The only response she got was a glower.

* * *

Later that night, Rosette sat alone on one of the large plush couches in the receiving room, her nose in a book, and her fingers wrapped tightly around an apple she had pilfered moments ago. 

After being shown to their room, Merari excused himself, and Chrono gave her an impromptu tour. This tour included a library, a kitchen, something that look suspiciously like a recreation room, a lounge, and many other doors that could not open, would not open, or they didn't try to open. There were places in the home now that even Chrono did not remember.

After their tour, Rosette had insisted on a shower. Afterwards she returned to the many places of the house she had seen to inspect them in more detail. She now lay curled up on the couch, in a set of borrowed night clothes, reading a book that she had found in the library. Chrono had long before gone to bed.

Rosette looked up as the clock on the wall chimed two in the morning. She couldn't help feeling that she should get to sleep. That tomorrow she would wake up in the Order realizing she'd missed out on her morning chores, forgot to do a debriefing with Sister Kate, left many apology letters unwritten, or unwittingly wrecked a car in her sleep.

But that wasn't going to happen. She sighed quietly and set her book down. Placing the well munched on apple core back on its plate, she picked up a stray pillow and hugged it to her chest. She knew that when tomorrow came, it wouldn't bring any of that. But she didn't know what the hell it WOULD bring.

She snorted once to herself.

'_Tomorrow we will be getting Chrono some new clothes. That's all we'll be doing tomorrow."_ She narrowed her eyes in thought. She had already come to trust Merari, because Chrono trusted him. But Chrono had also mentioned that even though Merari had said the time to move on Aion was at hand didn't actually mean that it was right this second. There were still things to be done, worked out, found out, fixed, planned. Rosette wondered how involved in the plans she and Chrono were exactly going to be. At the moment Merari hadn't told them anything at all.

_'It's because he's being polite.' _She thought to herself. _'He's letting us get settled and comfortable first. For once in your life just accept it when something good happens. Lord knows it may be one of the last.'_

Rosette stopped herself at that thought. Perhaps it wouldn't be the last. She looked down at the faintly glowing watch she still insisted on wearing. There were some adjustments to be made. She didn't have to make her peace with dying as a teenager. Now she had to make her peace with not dying for...who knew how long? That had issues in and of itself, but she couldn't worry about them too much right now. It might make her head explode. The only thing she could really focus on now was that death wasn't knocking on her door every night. Joshua was no longer suffering. Suddenly, there was absolutely no rush. Her revenge would be exacted. There was no doubt in that, and her brow furrowed slightly as she thought about it. However, there was no need to hurry. Joshua was not calling out for her. She wasn't nervously watching the hands on her life watch tick slowly away from her. Now it seemed that the only constraint on them was that the longer they allowed Aion to work out his plans, the less chance they'd have of success. And as Aion's plans had been in the works for fifty years, it seemed he was in no hurry either.

Rosette sighed and leaned her head back on the couch. It had been years since she had allowed herself the mental slow down that she was convincing herself into now. Every day had been a race, a step towards a finish. Every morning she had to remind herself to hurry. Once Joshua died, she hadn't done anything at all. And now, once again, she found she had a purpose, but her drive to complete her purpose could be slow, calm, calculated. She could afford that now.

"Rosette?"

At the sound of the soft voice, Rosette pulled her head up off the couch and looked towards the hallway. Chrono stood in the doorway, the pale skin of his bare chest reflecting slightly the room's dim light. As he began to make his way over to her, Rosette couldn't help but watch in awe of the spectacle that was Chrono in motion. Rosette caught herself staring and at that moment it didn't matter. She watched as Chrono, gliding noiselessly over to her, he sat down and pinned her with a concerned look.

"How are you handling all this?" He asked her, his eyes seemingly trying to draw the truth out of her, whether or not she was willing to tell it.

Rosette sat back again and looked up at the ceiling. "It's a bit much right now. But I'm working on it. It's just..." she brought her hand up to the watch on her chest, "it's just a lot. I'm not quite sure what to think yet."

Chrono smiled understandingly, "I guess you're gonna have to put up with me a lot longer than I had originally planned. I apologize if I'm putting you out."

Rosette looked back at him with a wry smile, "I think I'll manage." After a few moments of comfortable silence, Rosette spoke up again. "What are you doing awake, anyway?"

At this Chrono's face took on a dour look as he answered "I couldn't sleep. My hair kept getting in my way."

Rosette looked, and sure enough, his hair hung long and free, a fair way down his back.

"I've gotten pretty used to it being braided. I couldn't sleep with it all spread out like that."

"You want me to fix it?" Rosette laughed softly at him.

"Yes, actually. If that's not a problem anyway." Chrono threw her a sidelong smile.

Rosette laughed again and threw the pillow onto the other couch. "Down there," she said, pointing at the floor. Chrono smiled and handed her the hair ribbon as he sat down on the floor in front of the couch.

Situating herself, Rosette pulled his shoulders back against the cushions, and placed her legs on either side of his shoulders. This was going to be a lot more difficult than braiding Little Chrono's hair. For one, this Older Chrono had a bigger head, and secondly, it was hard to braid hair once your hands started trembling.

Running her fingers through his hair, Rosette tried as best she could to keep her fingers off his skin, so that he wouldn't notice her shaking. What she had failed to remember, however, is that Chrono did a pretty good job of keeping track of her mood no matter where she was or what she was doing.

As she braided in silence, Chrono asked gently, "Rosette, is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" She asked, hurriedly, "What would be wrong?" She continued to slip her fingers in and out of his hair as she weaved. For some reason, though it felt exactly the same, it felt totally different. His hair was long, soft, clean, flowing. Little Chrono's hair had been practical. Older Chrono's hair just seemed to be pure aesthetic. She had never before had the urge gather his hair up in her hands and bury her face in it when she was braiding his hair all those years before.

"You can't get out of it that easily, Rosette. You know I know." Chrono said, never opening his eyes. He sighed gently in simple contentment. He loved it when Rosette braided his hair. There were a few times, years ago, that he could remember deliberately taking it out just so she could braid it again. It worked, a few times, before she refused to do it more than once a day. There was just something about her hands in his hair, and on his skin that was so genuinely intimate and perfect. It made him want to jump up and bury his head in her lap so that she would keep petting him until he fell asleep. It had always been that way. But he wouldn't have let her know that for the world.

Rosette sighed as she searched around the couch for where she had lain the ribbon. "How long will you live, Chrono, do you know?"

"With demons, the only thing we can be certain of is that we live until we die."

"Except in my case, where I will live until you die."

"Yes."

"You're not going to die anytime in the foreseeable future."

"It's not something I'm planning on, no."

"We'll be together a very long time then, won't we?"

Chrono's eyes snapped open as she finished knotting the bow in the yellow ribbon. If he had known this was what bothered her, he likely would have said nothing. Because now he'd asked her about it, and he still had nothing to say. He had no response that could possibly be spoken. Not now.

Indeed, the two of them would have a lot of time together. Chrono had been nothing but overjoyed at the prospect initially. Rosette wasn't going to die. He wasn't going to die. Not anytime soon. But what he realized now is that what they had entered into was a lifetime contract with no foreseeable end. They were together now. Really together. For a long time.

While the thought certainly didn't bother Chrono, he realized that that was not the kind of decision anyone, especially humans, would enter into lightly. A lifelong bond was important, significant. Usually accompanied by something other than friendship.

At this Chrono blushed.

"Yes. A fairly long time." Chrono answered quietly. If he had kept thinking to himself, his mind would have driven him crazy.

Rosette new he had gotten her point. But now that she had expressed it, she was at a loss for what to say. She had wanted to bring this up eventually. Later. Possibly after Aion was gone, when there wasn't anything but the time ahead of them left to worry about. Rosette cared very deeply for Chrono, but this whole situation had her freaking out. Chrono meant so much to her, and the thought that that could or would change terrified her.

As the silence between then began to seem uneasy, Rosette dropped down on the floor beside Chrono.

"It's not that that isn't okay." She said slowly, laying her head down on his shoulder. "It's just that... it's a bit much."

"I understand." Chrono replied, as he closed his eyes again. Ever since his horns had been returned to him, he had felt pieces of his old self returning. They weren't, thankfully, the darker sides of himself that he had been afraid would surface again. Apparently those parts of him died with Magdalen's sacrifice. But now that he had a full supply of astral again, he felt vibrant, alive, young... virile. The weight of Rosette's head on his shoulder, and the feel of her hair brushing against his neck brought forth a turmoil in him that he hadn't experience before. It wasn't that he didn't know it was there. He had known a long time that this could happen, or would happen under the right circumstances. Truth be told he had missed this adrenaline, but he would never have dared use Rosette's soul to fuel his own sexual drive. Besides, a twelve year old had no business whatsoever being sexually active.

But now things were different. Now he was energized, now he wasn't twelve, now Rosette was laying her head trustfully on his shoulder, taking his hand in her own...

"We should get to bed." Chrono said, squeezing her hand gently, and standing, pulling her up beside him. "Thanks. For the hair, I mean."

She smiled sweetly at him, unaware of the war that was beginning in him, over her. "You're right. Just our luck Merari will be an early riser. And you're welcome."

Chrono only smiled at her, though he knew Merari wouldn't disturb them until well after the woke on their own. He didn't want her to know that. The faster she was tucked away in her room, and he in his, the sooner he could lay his conscience to rest. At least for tonight.

* * *

**_Thanks again for reading! And another, extra thank you out to all my reviewers. Y'all are one of the main reasons I keep writing. Thanks for your concern/support/criticism. Y'all are great._**  



	10. Chpt 8: Memories

**_Wohoo! Managed to get another update before the week was out! I REALLY wanted to get this chapter out, as alot of you have been wondering about Merari. Here is the in depth background on so far my more elusive character. You'll get more from him later on, but that's getting ahead of myself. But before you start, a few reminders. _**

**_ 1. Again, this is based of the anime. I know I said this last chapter, but I went out on a bit of a limb for this one, and I can just hear manga fans yelling at me now lol. Please remember it's an anime fic._**

**_2. I rated this story M for a reason. Up until now there hasn't really been a need, but now there is. This chapter does get graphic, and not in the fun citrusy way. (We'll save that for later, eh? lol) I know that warning is annoying, but I'm just covering my butt here lol._**

**_Anyway, enjoy you guys, and I hope to update again soon._**

**_MJ_**

**_

* * *

_**  
Merari sat comfortably against the wall of the little shack that was the only marker of his property. He watched the tiny speck that was Chrono and Rosette disappear into the clouds. The two of them had decided the need for civilian clothes (of the proper era) was too much of necessity to wait on getting. Money being no object with Merari, as usual, he gave them more than would be needed and sent them on their way after breakfast.

Rosette being the only one who actually needed to eat, she insisted on making breakfast for them. Merari had fully stocked the kitchen in anticipation of this and took a great deal of pleasure in watching Rosette busy herself around the stove. It had been ages since anyone had used it.

Lighting a new cigarette with the butt of his old one, Merari let his mind wander.

* * *

Trista had always loved cooking. When she first revealed this tidbit of her personality to her partner and asked that a kitchen be put in their home, he had looked at her incredulously. The only things that needed to eat were humans and animals, none of which were ever really around them. 

"_But don't you enjoy eating?"_ She had asked him. He told her he supposed that he did.

"_So do I."_ She had replied, _"And there's something about not **needing** to that just makes it all the more enjoyable. Everything tastes so good. Why not enjoy it?"_

He had no been able to offer any argument to the contrary, so he had consented. He had planned on doing so anyway. He always gave her whatever she could want. This was mostly because she never abused the privilege of asking, and because he could never find it in his heart to tell her no. So she had her kitchen.

Taking another long drag on his cigarette, Merari allowed himself a wistful smile. He remembered how she insisted on making something, at least once, every day. And he insisted on watching her. If he was one to be compliant to her wishes, she had always been the same for his, if not more so. She had always said she enjoyed having him with her anyway.

Trista had been a busy body whenever she cooked anything, much like Rosette was. She would smile, laugh, and drag as much conversation out of the stoic demon as she could manage. His mostly monosyllabic and sometimes gruff replies only elicited wry grins and playful insults from her.

Merari sighed as he let himself fall more deeply into his memories.

She had been so beautiful. The first thing he always remembered about her were her amethyst eyes. Two bright, sparkling fixtures in her beautiful, pale face. Her lips, the color of one of her deep blushes, were almost always turned up in some kind of smile. She had so many of them, that they rarely left her expression. Sometimes he would spy her wandering aimlessly around the house, smiling at some stray thought that had crossed her imagination. Merari wiped a hand casually over his face as he remembered her hair, a deep, chestnut brown that had stayed swept up, away from her face, held in place by two slender, gracefully tapering horns. He always used to tell her regal she looked, with her bone-hued horns wrapping gently around the crown of her head. She would laugh and mention how annoying it was that it her hair was nearly impossible to pin up because of them. Merari had never minded. That just meant that he could run his fingers through it whenever she stepped within arms reach.

She had been so beautiful. She had been so gentle. She had been so kind.

She could be so terrifying.

Merari gave a sad smile as he remembered one of her more poignant displays of her rarely used powers. It had been a few years after she had insisted on allowing the younger demons she had known and grown so fond of to take up residence in their home. Actually, it had been a suspicion of Merari's that she would do that for some time. Trista had been overjoyed when he revealed that their home would include many spare rooms, for whatever use she saw fit.

She was infinitely playful and maternal to all of the young ones that had traipsed through their home. But one night, when a few of the young ones had decided to take their games outside, on the surface, they saw a side of her that had brought an end to any and all misbehaving in their household for months.

Sensing that young and underdeveloped demons were out in the open, a band of a few... less respectable demons decided to fly in for some sport. Trista had heard their cries from inside the under ground home, and rushed up to their aid. By the time Merari had surfaced to aid her, all he found were two young demons, huddling in the corner of the shack, and a mass of blood and gore in the yard. Merari couldn't even tell how many bodies there were, or would have been. Blood had soaked through most of Trista's clothing, and in her hands she clutched a bouquet of various, destroyed horns.

Flashing her dangerous eyes as she turned around, she fixed the young ones with a solemn stare. _"Where is he."_

The two boys pointed to a spot a small distance from the bloody swath of earth to a tiny, crumpled form. Trista began to walk towards the space when Merari had commanded to two to go back inside, and followed her out. When he reached the spot where she had stopped, he froze for a beat before pulling her tightly to him. Apparently the young one had been trying to run away when the beasts had caught him. Merari closed his eyes as he willed himself to forget the image of the tiny, decapitated body, in the still growing pool of blood beneath it. He tried to assuage himself that at least it had been quick. The young boy's body was otherwise still perfect. He had felt little pain.

Trista began to shake gently in Merari's arms as he held her, and he knew that it was not from grief or helplessness. He tightened his grip and clenched his eyes closed as her scream of fury had cut the night in two.

"_There was nothing you could do but what you did."_ He had tried uselessly consoling her. Comfort had never been his strong point, but she had always understood and appreciated his words.

"_Go inside with the little ones."_ She had requested of him after a short moment of silence, her scream still echoing in his heart, even after it had died in the air. He had nodded, kissed the top of her head gently and left her there, as she wanted.

She came in the next morning tired, covered in dirt, and with newer, fresher blood staining her gruesome dress. He did not ask her where she went. He did not need to know. After she had stepped into the wash room, he went to retrieve her dress. There, laying quietly, innocently, were a small pair of lifeless horns.

Going to the surface, he had brought her clothing with him and burned it. The smell was overpowering, and he was sure it did more harm than just to the senses. As he watched the little fire reduce the last tangible reminder of the event to nothingness, he noticed a small mound a little ways off from the house. Merari decided to find a suitable marker for the tiny grave that very day. It would soothe her somewhat, and right then that was all that mattered.

After that event she had been quieter. She was still just as kind with all the children, and infinitely loving towards him as she had ever been. But the sparkle in her deep eyes had never been quite as brilliant. Little Tsato had been one of her favorites.

Merari supposed that was why, many years later, when Aion had come to her, she had been so willing to help.

The couple had been spending some time in San Francisco on holiday. Trista enjoyed the water, and it was nice every now and then to bring themselves back in contact with the world at large. Masquerading in their concealed forms, the two of them had been spending a quiet evening in their hotel room when a gentle knock sounded from the door.

Apparently Aion had been searching unsuccessfully for them, for Trista at least, for some time. Her reputation for dealing with demon young, both the docile and the less than tractable, was quite well known to him. He had been trying to seek her out to request her assistance with his rather... unique problem.

When he had at first explained the situation, they had both looked at him incredulously. The two of them most certainly did not approve of the course of action that he had taken with the young human boy called Joshua. Mixing the traits of a human and a demon in this manner was in no way natural, and Trista expressed her concern, telling him that it was no wonder things were not going well.

"_I am surprised the poor thing isn't dead yet."_ She had replied to Aion. Trista held no love for the white-haired demon that had addressed her. Yet despite the crime against nature that she felt he had committed, she still held a great deal of concern for the boy he spoke of.

Merari had often wondered since then if she would have been more or less concerned about his well being if Aion had revealed the complete truth about the boy to them.

In any case it had taken very little for Aion to convince her to at least come and assess the boy, to tell him, at the very least, what might be done for him. It was admittedly an unconventional case, but Aion had felt her expertise would be of more use than his.

When Trista had lain eyes on the boy, Merari could feel her heart break. Joshua had been despondent. The only reaction that had occurred when the troupe of demons entered was that the boy smiled softly and looked up at Aion. He did not even seem to register the fact that there had been any one else in the room.

Aion had not told Merari and Trista whose horns he had given the little human boy, but now, looking at him, Merari had a sinking feeling he knew who those intimidating horns belonged to. He would say nothing of it to Trista. Truth be known, she probably recognized them herself, but her concern was for the boy. Merari had no wish to bring up the subject of Chrono if she did not do so first. The idea that one of her favorite young ones could be dead would not sit well with her. He had no desire to inflict that extra degree of tension into an already tense situation.

Trista had asked if she could get close to the boy, and Aion had agreed. Joshua responded well to such physical proximity of the demoness. His apparent caretaker, Fiore, if Merari remembered her correctly, stayed a very good distance from all of them for the entire visit. The couple could hardly believe she ever really touched the boy. She was loyal, Merari could see. But her affection was... off? No, that was not the word. But there was something unconventional, sincere, but almost wrong. Merari couldn't place his finger on it.

In any case the boy (Merari supposed he could no longer really call him human) responded well to Trista's affections on him. Aion commented that he had never seen Joshua so stable, comfortable, and happy. He requested that Trista remain close by and visit as often as she wished.

In the changing times that he and Trista found themselves in, they also found that their home was empty of young ones. The ones that had lived there were grown now, and the new generation of young demons was just as caught up in the progress taking place around them as humanity was. They wanted to be out there, in it, a part of it. She never would have admitted it, but Merari knew that it broke Trista's heart. They had tried occasionally to have one of their own, but it never worked out, and after some time Merari had insisted they stop trying. Every failed pregnancy broke her a little more.

In light of all this, Trista accepted the offer with very little hesitation. She wasn't thinking rationally, he knew, but her desires caused him to think just as irrationally. It was not long before the two of them took up residence with the boy and Fiore in the beach side home. It had only been practical. Trista spent most all of her time with the boy, and hated to be away from him. After it had become clear just what Joshua had been, even before the addition of horns, Trista became violently protective and mothered him excessively.

It was during this time that Aion had approached Merari on doing his own part to help the cause. Aion had used Joshua as a bargaining point. The sooner the mission was carried out, the sooner the boy would be freed. It was obvious that Trista's attentions were only buying Joshua time. They had all thought, for awhile, that Joshua could be pulled through this difficult stage. But the power of the horns was overwhelming. Joshua was certainly lasting longer than a normal human would be able to, given the circumstances. His heaven-granted powers were indeed doing a fine job of keeping him stable, all things considered. But as time progressed it became obvious that they just weren't enough.

Aion had argued that with Merari's special "talent," his mission would be much easier to accomplish. He needed to find people, and who better to man the search party than the master of avatars himself? Merari could search the streets of anywhere in the world, completely undetected by human or demon. It would speed the process immensely and soon all would be as it should.

He had only explained a little of the plan to Merari, and already Merari didn't like it. Aion needed to gather the apostles, and while for the life of him he couldn't imagine why, Merari didn't feel someone like Aion would be much good with all of the apostles gathered. Still, the only beings in the world Merari gave a damn about were Trista, and anyone she cared for. At the moment that left himself and Joshua. If it would help Joshua, Merari would lend his aid.

That was where things began to go horribly wrong. It indeed took Merari very little time to locate and deliver all of the apostles. But during this short period of time, when the two of them were out of the house, by themselves, Trista began expressing misgivings about Joshua. The longer she spent with the boy, the more she realized how cruel and unnatural what Aion had done was. It was not only inhuman, but it was slowly destroying the boy's heart. His memories were vague at very best. He was rarely lucid. Lately Trista had barely been able to avoid the boy's fits. The power was too much for him, and Trista feared that it had already destroyed much of the boy's mind and heart. If they waited for Aion's plan to see completion, there might have been nothing left of Joshua to save.

Day after day her concern grew, until the only thoughts that occupied her mind were some way to save him. It was not long after then that she had told him.

"_I'm taking him away from here, Merari. I can't watch this anymore. I won't let him hurt like this. I've done what I can, but it hasn't been enough. This is the only thing I have left to do."_

The two of them formulated the best plan they could on short notice. Trista wanted to take him away immediately. That very moment.

As they had approached the house after their afternoon out, he asked her again if she was sure. She had only nodded her head. The Merari that had walked beside her into the house that afternoon was not the one that had walked out with her. She had insisted that Merari remain outside, and send an avatar in. _"Just in case something should go wrong." _She said.

"_If anything is going to go wrong, you are to be out here, with me."_ He had said to her seriously. His only answer had been her sad smile. He cursed himself daily that that would be the last of her beautiful smiles he would ever see.

She was going to go in. She insisted on it. She would be the one to save the boy. It was her responsibility. She would not, she could not cower from it.

Trista had wrapped her arms around his lean frame, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. _"See you soon." _Then, linking arms with his avatar, she strolled into the house.

It sent a knife through Merari's heart to continue the memory, but he forced himself. He would not forget this.

Everything had been well until she got to the boy. Taking his hands gently, she told him that they were going to go out.

"_Where are you taking Lord Joshua?"_ a cold voice had interrupted. Fiore, in her ever vigilant guard, stood in the doorway.

"_We are going out for the afternoon. He hasn't seen the city in weeks. It would do him good to be out around people again."_

"_Lord Joshua is not to be around others right now. He is not well."_ Fiore's tone was as unchanging as her stone-set eyes.

"_He would be better were he out._" Trista had begun to take a step towards the doorway, with a less than lucid Joshua in tow. Merari's avatar followed, but kept silent. This was Trista's plan, and she would not forgive him if he in any way harmed the chances of its success.

"_He will stay. Lord Aion has commanded it."_

This proclamation made Merari nervous. Aion had let the boy do as he please, and Trista and Merari along with him. For him to announce these restrictions meant that something was wrong.

"_Aion is wrong, and we are leaving."_ As Trista had begun to make her move towards the door, impossibly quick, Fiore brought her wicked staff to block the way. All sense if immobility gone, the deadly nursemaid lunged for Trista. With time for only one quick thought, Trista had shoved Joshua away from her and onto the floor. When she spun around to meet the onslaught, she realized, one moment after the spear had pierced her chest, that she was one moment too slow.

All semblance of safety or precaution gone, the true Merari, in full demon fury burst into the house. In one last effort, Trista had channeled all of the demonic energy she had left in her and blasted the murderous Fiore, full force. The expressionless woman was thrown clear of the room, through the kitchen, through the outer wall, and flat on her back on the sand. She was unconscious

Merari had rushed to Trista's side, knowing that he could take her, be gone from here. No one would follow. Aion had not really, truly, needed either of them. He could tend to her, care for her. She would live. She had to live.

But as he moved to pick her up, she looked to his eyes with a dulling purple gaze, and pleading with him, her hand on his cheek, with one word.

"_Joshua"_

She lay, fading in his arms, her blood pooling around her, staining his boots, his pants, his coat as he clutched her to him. Yes, he could save her. But she would never forgive him if he did.

Turning his head to hers, he gave her one, long, passionate kiss as her lips grew numb beneath his before laying her as gingerly as possible back on the ground.

Merari sprang over to Joshua and lashed an arm around him, running from the house. The boy, who had been in the beginning stages of a fit ever since he saw Trista skewered, now bordered on hysterics. Having found out in his workings with Aion just exactly whose horns Joshua possessed, Merari knew that this could not end well. Steeling his gaze and clenching his teeth, he decided that he didn't care.

Merari snapped open taut, angry wings, cradling Joshua as his feet rocketed off of the sand, only to find himself sprawled back on the beach, Joshua many feet away from him, rocking back and forth on his knees.

Looking above him, Merari saw what had happened. Aion hovered in the air, a few feet over him.

"_You will not take what is mine."_

Head reeling from the unexpected blow, and unable to find any fathomable words for the demon who had brought about the death of his wife, Merari did not speak at all, he instead launched himself at Aion, a blood rage growing ever stronger behind his eyes.

As the two demons traded furious blows, the human boy on the beach began wailing, ever louder. Joshua was completely unaware of everything that was going on around him. All that he knew was that his comforter, his soothing presence was gone. And the only other calming figure he had in his life that he could remember was laying sprawled, motionless, on the sand. He screamed, and screamed again. His screams became ever louder as he tried so hard to drown out that agonizing "noise" that he heard again. That he could not rid himself of.

As the wind began to swirl around the boy, Merari finally took notice. He knew what was going to happen, though he never actually seen it. He knew what Chrono's horns were capable of. A fit of Joshua's right now, of this magnitude, could certainly kill Merari. But more importantly, they would most certainly kill the boy.

Hastily dealing another well placed blow to the self important son of a bitch who murdered his wife, Merari streaked down towards the beach. He would get Joshua away from here. He would take him far away, somewhere else. He would take him home.

But before Merari could reach him, he looked over his shoulder to see an angry blast of demon energy nipping at his heels. Swerving away at the last possible moment, before the deadly ball of light incinerated him, he dove head first into the soft sand.

Merari raised his eyes the moment Joshua met his death.

The energy had knifed through Joshua's forming cyclone. The moment it struck the young apostle, a nanosecond of silence was followed by an earth shattering explosion. Merari was thrown far off the beaches and into the water.

Merari had jumped from the water and flown as fast as he could, but by the time he returned to the sand, all he found was an unconscious Fiore, an unconscious Aion, and nothing but smoking flesh and cinders where Joshua had been.

Forcing the bile that had begun to rise in his throat back down to his stomach, he walked over and knelt in front of the charred pile that was the boy he had lost Trista trying to save.

With fury he had never imagined before beating around his brain, blinding him, he turned toward the treacherous demon who had caused it all. He would rip Aion's horns out and stab him through the heart with them. He would behead him and feed his self indulgent smile to whatever fish jumped the highest. He would burn the house and everything inside it.

He would have. But as he turned to exact his revenge, Aion was gone. Fiore remained sprawled on the ground. Dead, he now saw. But before Aion had left, he had taken her accursed necklace with him.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Merari dropped to his knees and vomited on the beach. Reaching over and grasping the only things left in the charred pile, Merari tucked the horns into his belt. He would have need of these.

He stood, and spread his wings, gazing once again at the carnage around him. A cold and infuriated composure fell over him as he glanced Trista's little feet laying outside the doorway. He couldn't sense her anymore. She was gone. Joshua, the boy she had so wanted to save was gone.

'_He is better dead than at his service.'_ Was the only thought Merari could comfort himself with. He wanted to run to Trista's body. He wanted to cradle her lifeless form in his arms, he wanted to weep and sob with fury into her beautiful, chestnut hair. But he couldn't. If it took one step towards her, it would end him. For now he was in his blood rage. To see her like that would break him. He would end his own life simply to be with her again.

A cold and entirely mirthless smile twitched at the corners of his lips. She would yell at him for not avenging Joshua before he killed himself to be with her.

'_Very well, dearest. Your wishes will be carried out. You have my word.' _Merari had thought to himself as he turned his back to the scene and flew away. Now was not the time to grieve. Grieving would come after vengeance and death would come after execution. Aion would die. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Merari sighed and wiped away a stray tear that had escaped his vigil over them. Snubbing his cigarette butt with his fingers, as he always did, he threw it in the small pile that had accumulated next to him. He highly enjoyed this human habit nowadays. He wondered idly why more people did not. 

He stood slowly and brushed his hands on the legs of his pants before heading back inside. There was still much work to be done.

* * *

**_I know this deviates a little bit from the way the story has been going, but it's got a pretty serious theme and I wanted to bring that out. We'll be seeing some more of this in the future. Please tell me what you thought, I'd love y'all's input on this. Thanks again for reading! Ooh, and a special thanks again to all my reviewers, new and old. You guys are the reason this thing keeps getting written. I appreciate you all, and y'all rock my world :).  
_**


End file.
